Have you ever been in a silent store – with no music playing in the background? What was your impression? If you are like most people, you probably felt uncomfortable, and after looking around a bit, you quickly left, headed towards a friendlier, more welcoming store. On the other side of the scale, have you ever left a store because the music was too loud or unpleasant, making you feel stressed and uncomfortable?

 Whether it’s in your home, car, store, restaurant or gym, you are surrounded by music for a large part of your day. Many stores and places of business have music playing for their customers. There have been studies that show the positive effect music has on people and how certain music can encourage people to stay in your store longer, possibly buy more, and recommend you to others.

The importance of music may run deeper than you expect. Since the beginning of time, people have enjoyed listening to music to relax and get those happy feelings flowing. Music is a key, if underrated, element in a store’s retail mix: The right music has the potential to put people in the right mood, (re)define the brand’s image, attract customers and increase sales opportunities and revenue.

There are 6 reasons you may want to know for why playing music in your retail stores.

1. Build the Right Atmosphere Improving Shoppers’ Mood

Music plays a big role in creating and enhancing the retail experience. Research shows that the music you play affects not only the store's environment, but also shoppers’ moods and feelings. By changing the tempo and style of background music, retailers can create a visible change in atmosphere. More than 80 percent of shoppers say that hearing music in a store improves their mood. A positive mood influences 37 percent of shoppers to make impulse buys. A happy shopper is more likely to want to spend money in your store, and it’s hard to resist a good impulse buy!

2. (Re)Define Your Brand Bonding with Customers

The tempo, loudness, style of the music you play can help communicate your brand’s personality to customers, even before they enter your door. Seven in ten shoppers say that music helps them feel more connected to the store. This makes it all the more important to choose music that is in sync with the identity you want to give to your brand. For example, if you’re going to run a store aimed to attracting young people, old style songs of last century may not be an appropriate choose. Instead, Tiktok or Ins-popular songs will be the right answer.

3. Shorten the Waiting Time Making It Less Painful

Music can affect people’s perception of time. Waiting in the line, customers often tend to be frustrated especially when there is a long line. A long queue will feel shorter if there is good music playing in the background. Nearly 80 percent of shoppers say that waiting in line is less boring when there is music playing in the store. Keep your shoppers entertained while they wait in the checkout line with music they enjoy and they are a lot more likely to remember the experience as a positive one.

4. Increase Clerk Productivity

In-store music is not only for the customers, employees and managers benefit from it too. An effective music strategy can be a great tool to boost staff morale, concentration and productivity. In a 2019 research, 77% of businesses agreed that their staff is more productive when music is playing. Many scientific studies support that people tend to work faster, and complete their tasks more accurately and creatively, when listening to music.   In-store music can be a big point of differentiation for a brand, as well as a key element in the customers’ retail experience. The right sound will support a retail brand and create a connection with target markets while playing the wrong music can have devastating effects. A study carried out on over 1,000 UK shoppers revealed that one out of two shoppers had left a store due to annoying background music.

5. Make Customers Feel Welcome

Shoppers said that entering a store where there is music playing makes them feel more welcome. Shoppers also said that entering a store with no music playing makes them feel disappointed and unwelcome. You can capitalize on this knowledge by including your customer base in your music selection. Make them feel like they have a say by initiating a poll on your social media accounts or with a suggestions bowl in the store.

6. Create a Private Space

By masking the sounds of voices and movements, background music helps create a personal space for customers, giving them privacy as they walk around the store, browse the products and make comments to friends or family.