How Music Can Influence Customer Experience in Grocery Stores

How Music Can Impact Your Customers Experiences Grocery Stores

A lot goes into a store’s sales. The people there, the store layout, the lighting, the color palette and, of course, the music.

If you walked into a grocery store without music, it would be disconcerting to say the least, and there's a reason for that. When most people think of music playing in a store, they think of the general type of music and associate it with the products in the store.

As people are highly influenced by music, it is important as a grocery store owner to choose the right type of music in your store. For what ? Read on to find out!

1. Increase sales

Studies have shown that the right type of music boosts sales. It's true !

The most successful grocery stores use familiar-sounding background music to promote sales, and there's a reason why: it works! Music for commerce is not a new field, and it is better to have a fixed playlist rather than just playing on the radio. When customers hear music that is familiar to them, they feel relaxed, and when they feel relaxed, they are more likely to purchase items.

2. Reduction of complaints

Nobody likes complaints, especially in retail. Once again, those familiar tunes you can play in your supermarket have been found to be linked to a reduction in complaints.

Music has also been shown to impact how customers rate the time they spend in the store. For example, one study showed that waiting customers who were surrounded by unfamiliar music described the store as dirtier, staff ruder, and wait times longer. In the same business context, a group of customers who were listening to familiar music said the opposite!

3. Impulse purchases

The tempo of music can impact shopper behavior in your grocery store.

Have you ever wondered why we play faster music at parties? Here's why ! Studies have shown that when music is played faster, shoppers are more likely to make impulse purchases, which increases sales in the store.

4. Brand promotion

There’s a reason that when you walk into an upscale grocery store, they play more classical music. Likewise, when you go to a grocery store with lots of health products, there’s a reason they play more relaxed music.

They are trying to create an association with their brand. So, if you're looking for the right type of music to play in your grocery store, think about what you're selling. For generic grocery stores, easy-listening or happy music is usually effective in helping customers feel good and relaxed enough to purchase products.

5. The atmosphere

You want to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere in your supermarket. One of the easiest ways to do this is through music, because even if customers are not aware of the type of music being played, they hear it and are impacted by it. In summary, softer, happier music encourages relaxation and promotes general purchases, while, as before, faster music encourages impulsive purchases.