Three Reasons Why You Should Play Music Inside Your Retail Store

Working in retail can be tough. Not only are you met with harsh competition right next door, but you’ve also got to ride the changing tides of consumer behaviors without letting your business sink or collapse. This can prove particularly difficult during an economic downturn, when customers are spending less and less money on retail therapy and shopping. 

Thankfully, there are many steps you can take to increase your sales during this time and protect your business from disaster – many of which simply focus on getting customers in through the door. 

Believe it or not, one way in which you can achieve this goal is by playing music inside your store. This can prove useful for three reasons: 

• Music can increase employee satisfaction and productivity.
• Music can increase foot traffic and grab the attention of passersby.
• Music can alter customers’ moods, therefore increasing sales. 

Photo by Clark Street Mercantile on Unsplash

Music & Employee satisfaction and productivity. 

Employee satisfaction plays a role in keeping a retail store functioning at a high level. After all, unhappy employees are less attentive to both their work and customers, resulting in lower levels of customer satisfaction and ultimately, fewer sales. As music can be a known mood-booster, this is a great way to make their day-to-day experience a little more enjoyable, whether they’re stocking shelves or standing behind the tills.

Furthemore, music can boost productivity in the workplace, because it increases your brain’s dopamine production. According to a recent study, this “stimulates the prefrontal cortex, which is the center of the brain responsible for planning, organizing, inhibition control, and attention.” As such, it means your team is much more productive when listening to their favorite songs. This means it’s worth looking into  fully licensed in-store music for retail shopping.

Music and increased sales. 

As mentioned above, music influences your mood. And while you must keep your employees happy, you should also work to provide the best service experience to customers too – and music can be a great way to achieve this goal. For example, you can play music that helps them unwind and relax, or music that puts a smile on their face. Either way, this means they’re in a good mood whenever they’re in your store and consequently, more likely to buy something. 

Music can also influence the amount of time a customer spends in your store – which again impacts your sales. For example, a recent study found that “the longer customers browse through a store, the higher the chances are that they will acquire a greater amount of products, thereby increasing the value of the purchase.” 

Music and foot traffic. 

The atmosphere within your store also contributes to the amount of money you generate in sales. After all, if your store appears cold, dull, or unwelcoming – this is unlikely to draw in a crowd – whereas a fun and welcoming space will see much more foot traffic overall. As such, playing music can be a great way to capture the attention of passersby. On a similar note, your choice of music can also help customers gain a deeper understanding of your brand identity and the kind of things you have on offer.