If you’re running a retail store, grocery store, or restaurant, one quick way to empower your shoppers and increase sales is by playing the right music. We all know on an instinctive level that music is a powerful tool that can influence moods and decisions, and various studies and surveys have confirmed this—you have to play music to get more sales.
1 – A major June 2017 survey involving more than 1,100 adult US shoppers recently discovered the scope by which music influenced shoppers.a84% of American shopper
- a: 84% of American shoppers said that shopping becomes a more enjoyable experience when stores play music. For the 18 to 24 age bracket, it’s even higher at 88%.
- b: The moods of 81% of the respondents are lifted with music. For the 18 to 24 bracket, it’s as many as 86%
- c: Music helps 70% of shoppers (82% of the 18-24 age group) relate to the brand.
- d: Waiting in line is the number 1 complaint among shoppers, but 77% of Americans said that it wasn’t as bad when music was playing. About 89% of the younger shoppers (18-24) felt this way too.
This was part of a larger survey involving more than 11,200 shoppers in 9 countries. In countries like New Zealand, China and Australia, the impact of music was even greater.
2 -Scientific studies also show that the tempo of your music can dictate the actions of your customers. Play slow music relaxes customers and makes them take their time, but they tend to buy more of your products. On the other hand, if you prefer customers to come and go quickly (such as fast food joints), you’re better off with faster-paced music, which makes them move more quickly.
3- The ideal volume level for your music mostly depends on the age demographics of your customers. You’ll want to play music louder when you have mostly younger customers, so that they’ll stay and spend more time shopping. On the other hand, the older adults tend to stay longer to shop when your music is more in the background.
4- What kind of music should you play? It’s not always about what they want to hear, but also about what kind of customers you want them to be. If you’re selling sophisticated merchandise such as wine, then it’s best if you play classical music instead of currently popular songs. One study found that this sort of music somehow influenced shoppers to pick the more expensive wines in general. It’s probably because classical music is sophisticated and posh, and the listeners unconsciously felt that way too. Of course, if classical music makes customers think that a place is expensive and elegant, then you should pick another genre if you want a more casual and more affordable vibe.
5- Local music somehow increases patriotic purchases. Another study in a wine store discovered that when French music was playing, customers bought more French wines. When the store switched to German music, the customers also switched to German wines.
People go to stores to get the full sensory experience of shopping that they can’t get online. So make sure you fully engage the senses of your customers by playing music in-store. It’s a quick and easy way to get more customers to spend more money. Plus it’s something even your staff will enjoy a lot more!
