7 Ways Music Makes Your Retail Customers Ready to Buy

How does the atmosphere of your retail store affect what shoppers do and why? Smell, sight, touch and sound all matter. Apparently, restaurants aren’t the only businesses that benefit from playing music. The State of Brick & Mortar: 2017 uncovered seven ways music prompts your customers to buy.

The Effects of Music on Shoppers

Makes the Shopping Experience More Enjoyable

According to the research, 84 percent of U.S. shoppers say music makes the shopping experience more enjoyable. Customers who enjoy the shopping experience are likely to stay longer and buy more, so crank that music up.

Makes Checkout Lines Less Painful

Over three-fourths (77 percent) of shoppers say waiting in line isn’t as boring when music is playing in the store. Since waiting in line is consumers’ number-one frustration with brick-and-mortar shopping, it’s good to know there’s an easy way to make it less painful.

Improves Their Mood

Half of U.S. consumers say hearing music in a store “puts them at ease,” and more than 80 percent say it “lifts their mood.” Since 37 percent of U.S. shoppers say a good mood inspires them to make impulse purchases, display plenty of impulse buys on your end caps and at checkout.

Bonds Them with Your Brand

Seven in 10 U.S. consumers say music helps them “relate and connect to” a store’s brand. Choose music that is in tune with your brand identity and your target customers for best results.

Builds Shopper Loyalty

Almost six in 10 shoppers overall and 72 percent of those aged 18 to 24 say they’re more likely to return to a store that plays music. So, keep the hits coming to keep customers coming back.

Creates Positive Word-of-Mouth

More than half (54 percent) of consumers overall and 65 percent of those 18 to 24 say they’re more likely to recommend a retail store that plays music. Try choosing some eclectic playlists featuring music shoppers aren’t likely to hear elsewhere—it will make your store stand out.

Makes Them Feel Welcome

Shoppers in the survey say music makes them feel welcome. In contrast, entering a store that doesn’t play music makes them feel unwelcome, disappointed and disengaged. So putting on some tunes is essentially rolling out the welcome mat.

When choosing music for your store, consider your customer base, your brand and the overall atmosphere you want to create. Try getting your customers’ opinions, too: 46 percent of U.S. shoppers overall and 55 percent of those 18 to 24 would like to influence the type of music their favorite stores play. Solicit ideas on social media, asking customers what artists they want to hear.

When it comes to playing music in your retail store, be aware you can’t just plug in your iPhone and start your favorite playlist. Copyright laws require obtaining proper licensing for any music played in a commercial setting. Fortunately, there are plenty of solutions out there from providers of licensed music for businesses. Retail Radio, Cloud Cover Music, RadioSparx and Overhead.fm are just a few of the many options to investigate.

Man with Coffee Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "7 Ways Music Makes Your Retail Customers Ready to Buy" was first published on Small Business Trends