Retail Customer Experience: Consumers Tune Out Stores Playing Annoying Music
Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from Retail Customer Experience, a daily news portal devoted to helping retailers differentiate the shopping experience.
Half of Britain's shoppers have left a store because they were annoyed by the music, according to a study by Immedia Plc, a company that develops music strategies for retailers.
The study polled more than 1,000 shoppers about their attitudes toward in-store music and about how music affects them psychologically and emotionally. Key results included:
- Seventy-three percent of respondents noticed the music playing in-store;
- Out of those who noticed in-store music, 40 percent will stay longer in a shop if they feel the music is well-chosen for the environment. Conversely, 40 percent will spend less time there if they feel the music isn't suitable;
- Forty-nine percent of all shoppers said they have stayed longer in shops because they like the music vs. 45 percent who don't;
- Excluding "don't knows," half of all shoppers say they left a shop because they didn't like what was playing or because it was annoying;
- Overall, a quarter of shoppers said they would be less likely to return to a store if they don't like the music it plays.
"Brands currently spend upwards of £25 billion a year on visual point of sale material," said Bruno Brookes, CEO of Immedia Plc. in a statement. "However, while the retail, hospitality and FMCG industries take great care in thinking about what customers see, nowhere near the same investment goes into optimizing what they hear."
Mr. Brooks said audio is the single most effective way to capture the attention and imagination of people who are on the move inside a shop or restaurant.
"It is important to optimize every element of a customer's sensory experience. As a result, we are working with an increasing number of high street names who want the competitive edge that a well thought out music and sound strategy will give them," he said.
Music obviously affects people's moods, emotions and energy levels, according to Immedia's scientific adviser, Vicky Williamson.
"This new survey demonstrates how similarly important 'background music' is to our shopping experiences. Music is no less powerful just because it is chosen by someone else," she said.
Research Now surveyed 1006 UK shoppers in the week of Sept. 26.