Sensory Inclusion in the Marketplace: Addressing Overload as an Emerging Axis of Exclusion

Efforts to make markets more inclusive have largely centred on socioeconomic, demographic, or digital access, yet a more fundamental dimension remains overlooked, namely the sensory accessibility of the marketplace. Across physical, digital, and hybrid environments, firms increasingly capitalise on multisensory design to enhance consumer engagement. Yet, as sensory intensity, incongruence, overload, and complexity escalate, new forms of exclusion are inevitably introduced. Here, we advance the notion of sensory inclusion in marketing: Drawing on insights from marketing, psychology, and human–computer interaction, we argue that sensory overload constitutes an emergent axis of inequality. Moving beyond reactive accommodations, such as “quiet hours”, we call for proactive design and policy frameworks that treat sensory accessibility as an inclusion principle, that different sensory thresholds are needed to enhance the experience of all consumers. Recognising sensory regulation as a public good, we outline concrete policy and design pathways through which markets can stimulate engagement while minimising exclusion.