What puts people in the mood to spend more at the holidays — techno-beat carols and glittery store decor, or softer sounds and homey surroundings?

Roughly 80 percent of purchasing decisions are made on the spot, so retailers every year wrestle with how to set just the right Christmas shopping mood, from the holiday soundtrack down to the paint color on walls.

Pouya Dianat/Staff (ENLARGE)

Retailers are switching to warmer colors in their Christmas decor this year, a trend that is seen throughout Perimeter Mall, especially at Macy's (seen here) where the red decor contrasts with the silver tinsel and glitz of years past.

The AJC chatted with local retail design guru Doug Hope, founder of GlobalShop and publisher of Display & Design Ideas, to find out what tactics are hot. Here's what he's seeing:

Less Mylar, more mellow

Cozy is this year's catchphrase, Hope says, as stores turn to an earthy palette and away from modern metallics. "Think about the old Rich's [now Macy's] at Lenox Square. It was one gigantic Mylar attack of chrome and mirrors. You almost had to have sunglasses. Now, they're really toning it down with wooden floors, painted surfaces and fabric wall-coverings," Hope says. Red satin and red velvets, not silver, are en vogue.

Good scents

Aroma marketing has moved beyond pine-scented candles to become a year-round effort for many retailers. Stores regularly blow a bouquet of fragrances into the air, usually from machines mounted just inside the doorway. "Our sense of smell is one of the most important as far as memory and mood," Hope says. Some stick with tried-and-true aromas such as cedar or apple pie; others concoct their own recipes of vanilla, green tea and other soothing scents.

Quiet, please

With the average mall a cacophony of sights, sounds and crying babies, stores are trying to tune it out. Retailers spray ceilings with noise absorbing material, cover walls with cloth and add carpet to muffle sound. "The mall has a certain din going on, and that din isn't exactly pleasant," Hope says. "It really does take sound absorption techniques in this day and age."

Ads in your face

Digital displays are popping up everywhere. Taking a nod from Wal-Mart TV, the chain's in-store ad broadcasts, malls and big-box stores alike are rolling out big screens. Interactive kiosks that allow consumers to look up product information and order it online also are in, Hope says.