Music Psychology & Behavior
Effects of Sound on Shoppers and Restaurant Patrons
There have been a number of studies conducted to identify the ways in which music affects consumer behaviour. Research has found that loudness, tempo and genre of music have significant effects on how long consumers spend in shops and restaurants, how much they purchase or consume, and whether they view brands or individual products favorably or unfavorably.
Music Volume and Shopping Behaviour
Music volume is negatively correlated with shopping time. However, people in grocery stores playing loud music make just as many purchases despite shopping for a shorter period of time. This indicates that sales per minute are much higher when music is played loudly than with soft background music.
Music Tempo and Consumer Behaviour
Experiments conducted in the 1980s found that in both supermarkets and restaurants, slower music creates slower traffic flow, which means that people shop for longer in the supermarket and spend more time eating and drinking in the restaurant.
When slower music was played, supermarkets saw significantly higher overall sales volumes, with one supermarket study reporting an increase in sales of 38% in the slow music condition. This is unsurprising, as consumers who are moving more slowly are more inclined to see additional items they would like.
Restaurants playing slow music had longer waits for tables and much higher customer bar bills. Interestingly, although restaurant patrons did not eat more in the slow music condition, they drank far more.
Music Type and Consumer Time Perception
In department stores that play Top 40 music, shoppers over 25 believe that they have spent more time shopping, whereas in those that play instrumental easy listening music, those under 25 feel that they have been in the store for longer than they have. Thus, unfamiliar or less-preferred music slows down perceived time for the shopper.
Music and Product Evaluation
Unsurprisingly, people are more inclined to desire a product that has been advertised in conjunction with music they enjoy than one that has been paired with unappealing music or no music at all. Consumers are also more likely to buy products when the music used to advertise them is aligned with the product. These effects work for both individual products and entire brands.
In addition to whether or not music is the consumer’s preferred type, congruity between music and the product being advertised is also very important. The most effective music used in advertising is that composed specifically to match the product, although recall of advertising messages can also be enhanced by using popular songs, particularly when the music is played without lyrics. Those listening to the advertisement are inclined to sing along, supplying the missing lyrics either in their minds or overtly, which increases their involvement with the advertisement and the likelihood that they will remember it afterwards.
Further Information
For more information on music psychology, please see The Psychology of Classical Music, The Psychology of Heavy Metal Music and The Psychology of Music.
References:
- Bruner, G. (1990). "Music, mood, and marketing.” Journal of Marketing, 54(4), 94-104
- Oakes, S (2007). "Evaluating empirical research into music in advertising: A congruity perspective.” Journal of Advertising Research, 47(1), 38-50.
- Yalch, R., & Spangenberg, E. (1990)."Effects of store music on shopping behavior.” Journal of Consumer Marketing, 7(2), 55-63.
Loblaws Supermarket in Toronto
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Window Shopping at Eatons 1937
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Restaurant
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Supermarket
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