Want to boost sales – then ditch Little Mix for Liszt retailers told
Switching piped music in supermarkets from pop to classical can increase sales by more than a quarter, a Staffordshire company has claimed in new research.
Shopping behaviour specialist SBXL said swapping Paloma Faith to Paganini or Little Mix to Liszt could potentially increase average shopper spend by around 26%.
The same research reveals that changing to classical music increases the value of average wine purchases by at least 40%, and that the subtle slowing down of familiar tunes can increase time spent in-store by 12% and average spend by 18%.
The research is part of SBXL’s Continuous Shopper Insight programme which surveys a cross section of shoppers on a monthly basis and studies their behaviour in store. Information from more than 3,000 shoppers is analysed to give an ongoing picture of shopping habits and shoppers’ attitudes.
SBXL’s Phillip Adcock said it was well known that all five senses came into play when shoppers were making purchase decisions. However, the significance of auditory senses was often under-estimated, as this research showed.
“We know that sight, touch and smell play a major role in shopping decisions. What is less well known is the extent to which the music played in store has an effect on behaviour,” he said.
“It is clear from this research that the music people hear during their shopping trip has a sub-conscious effect on the way they process information from other senses. It could be something to do with creating a relaxed environment, but classical music is undoubtedly a trigger for people to spend longer in store and spend more while they are there.
“We have been carrying out detailed analysis of how all five senses influence shopping but these results for auditory senses are surprising.”
SBXL, with offices in Lichfield and Tamworth, specialises in retail research, combining state-of-the-art technology with a detailed knowledge of human psychology. As well as regular shopper tracking, the company provides retailers and brands with in-depth insights, using techniques such as in-store filming to capture behaviour,
The company also provides detailed studies of facial expressions and non-verbal communication to identify sub-conscious decision-making processes, and eye-tracking to determine what shoppers see in-store.
