Whether you love it or hate it, music in stores has an impact on your shopping experience. It turns out there’s a long history and well-documented science behind why stores play music, what they play, and at what volume they play it. In 1966, researchers first examined the effect of ambient music on grocery store shoppers. They discovered that playing loud, piercing music got shoppers out of the store quicker, while softer, calmer music allowed them to spend more time shopping. Almost two decades later in 1982, another research team came to the same conclusion. Loud uptempo music moved people quicker, meaning less time spent in the store and fewer purchases. Slow, soft music, however, resulted in a 38% increase in sales. So, the next time you pause to take in the ambient music in a store, you might find yourself shelling out more money and carrying home more groceries than you intended.
