Using Music to Increase Sales

Music influences people’s mood and behaviour. Music is part of atmospherics – a range of strategies for deliberately changing the environment to generate a positive mood in customers.

During the 1980s and 1990s researchers found that in-store music affected customer’s moods, increased the time they spent shopping and the likelihood they would make unplanned purchases, even their perception of waiting times. Music was even found to affect customers desire to interact with salespeople.

To get the most from music it has to be matched to the store, the products and your objectives. Researchers have found that:

• In supermarkets fast tempo music increases the pace of the customer traffic flow and the number of items people buy (Milliman, 1982)

• In queues waiting for service, customers are happier and think they have been waiting for a shorter time when slow tempo music is played (Oakes, 2003)

• Slow music decreases the speed of drinking behaviour (McElrea & Standing, 1992)

• Playing music in a bank has been shown to make customers happier and increase their desire to interact with bank staff (Dube, 1995)

The style of music being played and environment are also important factors. Music style has to be matched to your customers. If customers do not like the music being played in your business they may in fact leave. Playing classical music has proven successful in stopping teenagers from gathering in particular locations. This technique is regularly used by fast food restaurants to stop young people congregating in their carpark. Volume is also a consideration – young people generally tend to like their music louder than older people. (But the louder the classical music the more likely teenagers will not hang around!)

Research has shown that to be effective the music needs to match the density of people in the store. A store ‘jam packed’ with people is known as ‘high density’.

Researchers investigated the effect of music tempo on 357 people in a shopping mall. They found that:

• During high density (busy) times shoppers on average spent almost double the amount they did during low density times. However during busy times more people may be shopping for particular items. For example, people shopping during the busy lunch time period are more likely to be shopping for a particular item, rather than for pleasure.

• Shoppers on average spent more money when the mall was busiest with slow music playing

• Shoppers were more likely to talk to other shoppers while slow music was playing

• Shoppers are more likely to browse in a store with slower music. But they tend not to make any more unplanned purchases

• Shoppers are more likely to make unplanned, or impulse purchases when the mall was busy

• More shoppers said they would avoid returning to a store when fast music had been playing.

Using music to increase your sales

Firstly you need to think about what you want your customers to do. If your business is one of those listed above, such as a supermarket, try what the research has demonstrated works.

How dense is your store environment. Is your store a busy retail store with lots of people? Slower music will probably be most effective for you.

However if your business is attracting few customers with slow music, faster music may produce better results. But if you have been playing faster music and that is not attracting customers switch to slower music for a period to see what happens.

Carefully match the music to your customers and merchandise. Play music which your customers can relate too. Classical music in a store selling to teenagers probably isn’t too smart. But in a busy Balinese homewares store slow paced traditional Balinese music is going to be better for business than fast paced Top 40 music.

I also suggest you do not let staff choose the music unless your staff are similar to your customers, particular in terms of age.

Smell can also be used to increase sales.

Source: Eroglu, S.A., Machleit, K.A., Chebat, J.C. (2005). The interaction of retail density and music tempo: Effects on shopper responses. Psychology & Marketing, vol 22(7), pp.7-589