UK supermarket giant, Asda has learned the hard way that music is a critical part of the retail experience. However, harnessed correctly, in-store music has a powerful effect on the human mind and can proactively influence shoppers’ decision-making.
When Asda bosses chose to stop playing chart hits on their in-store radio station in favour of repetitive, unlicensed, unsigned, royalty-free music in an alleged cost-cutting move, they most likely believed that nobody would have noticed. Nobody pays much attention to music when they’re buying baked beans. After all, it’s just background music, right?
Wrong! They noticed all right and garnered negative worldwide headlines to boot! In September, Asda staff launched a petition calling for an end to the small selection of ‘repetitive’ and ‘mentally draining’ torturous tunes playing continuously on rotation, the same playlist droning on day and night.
Customers even took to Reddit to express their auditory displeasure. “I was in Asda for the first time in about a year, and one of the first things I noticed was the terrible screechy music. It made me want to get what I needed as quickly as possible and leave the store ASAP. What a horrible experience.”
Another customer took the time to write, “I was shopping about a week ago, and one song came on, a female singer doing a repetitive, awful song. I turned to my wife and said, “This is literally the worst song I’ve ever heard.”
This is interesting when you consider that tempo, mode, genre, and volume are the four musical components that most impact our desire to buy. While Asda bosses may not have fully appreciated the psychology behind the music they choose to inflict on their staff and customers, the right music choice boosts employee and audience engagement, improves the in-store consumer experience and drives sales. So much so that a Curtin University study found that consumers bought five times as much French wine by playing stereotypical French music in a bottle shop.
Engaging our emotional, cognitive and arousal functions, music has an uncanny ability to change human behaviour subconsciously. For example, you’re at a bar, deep in conversation, and suddenly, your foot is tapping in time to the beat. Or an uplifting motivational anthem comes on at the gym, and you squat deeper or lift with more power. As a former club DJ, I have been responsible for playing music that has sent bodies into rhythmic and not-so-rhythmic convulsions.
So, no, music isn’t just background noise — it’s a powerful tool that subconsciously influences our moods and behaviours, including how we shop. The State of Brick and Mortar 2017 report said over 80 percent of respondents said in-store music puts them in a better mood and enhances the overall atmosphere.
After all, music is a direct link to our brain’s reward system. It directly impacts our brain, stimulating blood flow and activating the limbic system, a key area in processing emotions, memory, reward, and pleasure. Music also directly affects mood, even if we don’t recognise it, which is why the Asda shoppers were up in arms about the jarringly bad songs.
However, customers who listen to music in tune with their mood are more likely to make purchases. Further, when consumers are highly familiar with the background music, the tempo will significantly impact their variety-seeking behaviour. This is the tendency of individuals to seek out new and different experiences, products, or services.
Research has also demonstrated that the tempo and rhythm of music affect consumers’ shopping pace and their perception of the time spent in the store. Even if customers spend time waiting in line, they are more likely to feel like they had a positive experience if you’ve had the insight to programme quality tunes attuned to your demographic.
As the Asda debacle demonstrates, creating a vibe is critical to creating the right atmosphere. Music should be part of your brand’s identity rather than an afterthought.
Dean Cherny is a retail behavioural expert, CEO and founder of Storeplay.