Australians are among those most influenced by music in retail stores

Music has long been an ingredient for bricks-and-mortar stores to increase the experience of shoppers, lift their moods and keep them in stores longer.

The effect is high in Australia, according to a global study released by Mood Media called The State of Brick & Mortar: 2017.

A thousand Australians were among the 11,000 surveyed in nine countries. These included China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The study revealed that 86% of the Aussies surveyed find that music makes the shopping experience more enjoyable – ever so slightly more than in the United States where the figure is 84%.

56% of the Australians surveyed actually feel “disappointed," "disengaged" and "unwelcome if they walk into a store with no music.

In addition, 64% of Australian millennials would shop in store rather than online if they find the physical stores offer the right experience.

“Consumers, particularly younger consumers, aren’t just buying a product when in-store; they’re buying an experience,” said Scott Moore, Mood’s Global Senior Vice President of Marketing. 

“And their expectations for a positive, emotionally engaging experience are quite high.

“Those businesses who deliver an elevated customer experience witness greater repeat visits, a greater number of recommendations and longer in-store dwell times.”

The study’s insight to Australian consumer experience found that 49% feel happy when their favourite tunes are played. 

Reflecting how the interaction with music becomes increasingly personalised and hands-on for younger buyers – with making their own playlists and getting algorithm-based recommendations – 84% of millennials actually want to influence the in-store playlist.

This is the highest of that age group in the nine countries.

Moore points out that this is an indication that not only do younger buyers see shopping as an experience, but “their expectations for a positive, emotionally engaging experience are quite high”.

This, in turn, translates to “greater repeat visits, a greater number of recommendations and longer in-store dwell times.” 

Globally, having music playing alleviates the greatest frustration of shopping IRL: waiting in line. 

As an aside, when Target set up in the United States in 1962, its policy was to have no music as it would distract customers as they made their choices.

It introduced music in 2011. It currently has 65 stores with music in America, but is expanding it to 180 by the end of 2017. Its instore playlist mood is described by Target as "upbeat, positive and [with] a playful personality.”

In 2015 it considered putting a bar into a Chicago store to expand customer experience. It went as far as applying for a liquor licence but nothing came of it.

The Mood Media report is available in full online.

Photo: via Pexels