Christmas is fast approaching again. It seems that every year the time between this Christmas and the next gets smaller. Even more so for those working in retail. Up go the shop Christmas decorations, the trees, tinsel and baubles. All the annual visual displays that suggest we get into the festive spirit and start spending. And of course, there’s the Christmas music.
We understand the visual prompting of customers but how does music play a positive part in helping shops? Surely, we as customers are so used to hearing these tunes that they have no effect on our behaviour or shopping habits? After all, we are hearing the same carols and pop songs we hear every year.
Experts on music have carried out extensive research and surveys about this very topic, interviewing hundreds of people aged between 15 and 54 in the UK.
Asked whether people preferred shopping at this time of year with or without in store festive music, a whopping 95% said they prefer shopping with the tunes. Out of that 95%, as many as 4 out of 10 stated that they would rather hear festive music than other popular music that they also liked. This explains why shops still find it important to get those Christmas tunes playing at the first reasonable opportunity.
It appears that music is actually at the very heart of what’s enjoyable about Christmas. A surprising 85% of those surveyed said that Christmas would not be as much fun without the music. Now that demonstrates just how important music is to us and festive music in particular works in powerful ways. For help and advice with your in store Music, visit https://moodmedia.co.uk/digital-signage-solutions
Christmas music evokes strong emotions, reminding them of happy childhoods and past celebrations. It also acts as a unifier – songs that everyone knows and can sing together, almost like a national karaoke. More than half of those surveyed admitted to singing along with the songs when in a bar or pub during the festive season.
Deep down at a personal level, Christmas music evokes positive thoughts and feelings in consumers, making it an enjoyable experience. This is also carried over into the retail world. Approximately three quarters of those who responded to the survey said that festive music gets them into the spirit of the season and if they like the music that’s being played, they are more likely to spend generously on people’s Christmas presents. That’s good news for retailers.
The conclusion for retailers is that Christmas songs can be used as a powerful tool when used well. It’s important for stores to know when to crank it up and when to go easy on the tunes. Almost a half of those consumers surveyed claimed that they get annoyed when Christmas tunes start too early, for example in November. It’s also worth doing some song popularity research too, as there are some Christmas tunes so disliked that they can they can drive consumers out of the shop!
