5 reasons to play music at your business

In this article, we explore the top 5 reasons how playing music at your business — whether it’s a shopping mall or a retail store, will help you and your Business.

Naveen Kumar
musicwhim
4 min readNov 6, 2018

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If the iPhone and other popular smartphone brands have become the central point in our lives, then it stands to reason that online retailers are now one of the most important destinations in any city, township or neighborhood. But with competition fierce among online retailers, business owners are looking for any advantage they can get over the competition.

It’s essential to be aware of the importance of music in our store or business. Nowadays every company manager knows that background music is an important aspect but to what extent does it affect our revenue? 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?

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. The best retail store music is actually music you don’t really remember. The best music creates an atmosphere that enchants you, but it remains below the level of consciousness.

Academic studies have confirmed the connection between music and shopping behavior.

In the late 80’s academics at Western Kentucky University found that playing in-store music in retail locations can spikes sales numbers — and that sound is just as important a component as the visual elements of a store (the décor) when it comes to influencing shoppers’ purchasing decisions. However, ignorance about the impact of music in retail still remains rampant — even among the biggest chains — and despite the fact that for customers, music has proved to be just as influential when making a purchasing decision as the store’s visual elements and branding.If the visual components are the face of the store, the music is your voice. Music is far more than entertainment for your customers — it’s the timbre and soul of your brand that lets your customers know who you are.

Music influences mood — and mood determines shopping behavior.

It’s not shocking to learn that the retail background music we hear has a significant role in our mood. Upbeat music makes us happy, while sad romantic music…well, that makes some of us happy too. The point is that mood also plays a role in how likely a person is to make a purchase — and how much they buy when visiting a store. If a business play in-store music that boosts an individual’s mood, it’s safe to say they are also boosting sales at the same time.

Music helps to keep private conversations private.

During the process of purchasing any item, many people are asked to share personal information such as the phone number and address. Some slammin’ dance tunes in the background may just be the perfect solution for those who worry about their personal information to be spoken aloud for all to hear.

Create and differentiate your brand.

Are you a carefree, laid back brand? Do you run family-friendly stores with a warm atmosphere? Are you edgy, vibrant and energetic? The tempo, loudness, style of the music you play can help communicate your brand’s personality to customers, even before they enter your door. Music is such an effective cue to a brand’s image that it’s often enough to hear notes streaming out of a store to realize the brand’s and products’ personality. Imagine that you are at the mall, shopping for a suit. You probably won’t enter stores playing rap or dance music, as they are unlikely to stock formal wear.On the other hand, if you were looking for a new pair of sneakers you would probably pop into one of those very shops, drawn by the notes.If you have been thinking about tweaking or re-branding your stores, music can be a powerful tool to achieve your brand re-design goals.

Build the right atmosphere.

As the competition from e-commerce is getting stronger, the quality of the shopping experience has become one of the key differentiators for physical stores. Music plays a big role in creating and enhancing the retail experience, to the point that four out of five small retailers believe that they would damage their store’s atmosphere if they stopped playing music.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. Analyze your store’s ambiance, what kind of atmosphere do you want to establish? You could for example create a playful space with high-key pop music, or use slow rhythms to build a relaxed, pensive environment.

Aren’t these 5 enough? No? Good, because we’ve got the second part “5 more reasons to play music at your business” up here!

If you’re a business looking to enhance your customers’ shopping experience, visit https://musicwhim.com today.

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Naveen Kumar
musicwhim

Hi! I’m a tech enthusiast, and a coder, have been for several years now. I’m also on the very beginning in the journey of discovering and bettering myself.