It's not like you're going to the store to listen to music but the fact that it's being played compels you to listen to it whether you like it or not. So, does music affect you in any way? Research indicates that the tempo at which music is played will directly affect how the speed at which you move. Slow music makes you move along slowly. Stores for that reason play slow music so you can walk around the store slowly and possibly spend more money than you intended to. Pretty ingenious, aren't they?
Every stores in my town play a nice music all day but it doesn't actually affect my time and how much money I spent But it does makes my mood better even though I have to be in a long queue when paying for the items I took. My baby also loves music and she loves it when I sway gently along with the slow music so that made me really like the idea of having a music on at every stores.
No that never happened to me before! I enjoy buying at a store more if there is pleasant music playing. But it doesn't specifically influence what I buy. For example, I can't stand buying at dark stores where very loud dance music is playing, cause aside from not being able to see the clothes I can't hear the other people shopping with me or even my own thoughts for that matter. I prefer light stores with low pleasant pop songs playing.
Yes, it does, but not in the way you described! Instead, if I hate a song, I am more likely to shop quickly and get out of the store as quickly as possible. Even if the next song isn't bad, I'm already moving quickly at that point. I can tell you that I shop much more quickly in stores that I KNOW are going to drive me nuts, too. For example, Staples always plays Katy Perry songs....over and over and over again, it seems! I can't wait to get out of there....
I...don't really notice the music that much during shopping trips. I guess it's mostly because my local stop and shop doesn't play music for shoppers. My local bjs does, but again I don't really pay attention to it as the music they play is just radio music. It's the same as listening to the radio while driving in that I don;t really tune into it unless I like the music, and if it's a tune I don't like then I just don't listen to it. Of course, it may still have a subliminal effect, but I haven't really noticed anything.
You know what, I don't noticed music in a lot of these bigger stores anymore. When I go into Target, for example, I don't hear any music playing. The closest thing would be when I am walking past the electronics section, and the TV's and stereos are playing, but that's about it really. Perhaps it's starting to die off in some places. The one store in particular though, whom I *hate* their music is Save-A-Lot. I'm pretty sure the stores have to pay some sort of licensing fees in order to play music over their loudspeakers - which is probably why Save-A-Lot is going with some lesser known music service that plays all these really generic songs from unknown artists. The songs are so bad and corny, they make me cringe while I am shopping. What's even worse now, is I am starting to recognize many of these songs since I shop there so regularly.
I wouldn't say it directly influences how I shop, although if they are playing good songs it may keep me in store for longer. Also there was one incident where I wanted to find a song, so I had to return to the store 2/3 times to simply get the lyrics so that I could perform a google search.
It would've been cool if the stores in my place plays slow relaxing music but no, they play pop songs all the time which is kind of nerve racking if you ask me. But yeah, I do agree with you in a sense. I think slow music can help you pace slower and possibly spend more, but as for me, I don't really pay attention to the music, I usually just go through my list, pick those things up and get the hell out of the store.
The only time music has almost drove me out of a store was when I was shopping at a Best Buy. I needed a car stereo and this was around the time Destiny's Child was popular. One of the floor staff played one of those songs where the title was repeated over and over on different demo stereos. Then it got louder to where things began to shake. They thought it was funny because that store was already loud with TVs and video games blasting throughout. Funny thing is that since the recession, that store has done a 180.
When a store has nice calm music I definitely feel more at ease there. It makes me want to take my time more like I am not in a rush. Not necessarily the elevator music, but just nice calm tunes that you can walk slowly through the lanes to. If the music is calm I think it helps me also concentrate more and I can take my time look for deals. However, by looking for the deals I will likely buy more than I originally planned on. The irony of it all lol
Yes. The music not only distracts me from other people talking, but it provides a nice experience. Also it gives me a little focus while shopping instead of my mind wandering somewhere else.
A few of the grocery stores play old school music which makes me stay in the store longer because the songs they are playing are songs I have not heard in a long time or ones that I really like. I find myself hanging around just to hear the next song. I stopped going to that store because I would spend more money there, to justify just hanging around to hear the music.
Interesting. I've never really heard of this as a selling tactic used by stores or even something that I've thought about when shopping at different stores. I do think good music makes shopping more enjoyable, but I'm not so sure if it affects what I buy in a store or not. Out of curiosity, where did the research come from for this? Seems like sort of an odd thing to even measure in the first place.
No not at all. In general I like music playing in stores because I feel like it makes the shopping experience not so sterile but the music doesn't influence how I shop. I worked in retail during college and we would always get all of this training material about how loud we should keep the music, the exact day and time to put on holiday music, etc.
My second favorite grocery store, Sprouts Farmer's Market, plays a lot of old school music. I love it. I do hang around the store a lot longer than I intend to because I usually singing along with the music. Most of the people who I have seen shopping in the stores seems to like the music that plays in the store. They play a wide variety of songs. I never considered that there is an ulterior motive behind the music. @Jessi: I also don't like the music they play in Staples. lol
Yes I try to ignore it and try not to overdo how fast I'm going but I probably would want to move faster if they were playing say example Taylor Swift. I almost always carry my phone and earbuds with me though and I put it on when that happens so I guess it's easier to ignore for me. If it's a song I like, it doesn't affect how I shop because I can always listen to that song later. For basic shopping, I just want to get in and get out.
If a store plays really bad music loudly, I can't wait to get out of there, so I grab my items quickly and leave as soon as possible. When I used to live on South Beach, a lot of the stores played dance music and electronic music, so that made me want to hang out and look at items. I guess if a store plays music that I like, I'm more comfortable and more likely to spend time in the store.
It somewhat dictates how I shop. It will also dictate if I enter the store at all. I can't stand stores that play extremely loud music. I know that its geared more towards youth (I pretty much fit in that category), but I prefer music that I can actually talk over. If the music is say jazz, then I most likely won't enter that store either.
Good music can draw people in. You will gain more visitors by playing the right kind of music for your store. I wouldnt say music has drawn me in but maybe it has. Its not something people will notice. It's a subconsciously hosted advertising program.
If I like the music in a shop then I do feel more welcome, but I can't say I really notice when a shop doesn't have music playing. I work in retail and my store used to play music but doesn't now and we actually seem busier. I don't know whether this is the change in products or whether people didn't like the music that we did play though, so I can't say this is conclusive proof.
