You probably notice how certain environmental aspects affect your shopping behavior. Does a store feel cluttered? Is there an overwhelming scent? How do the salespeople act? Is it just far too crowded to get any shopping done? If all the variables of shopping in brick and mortar stores affect you negatively, odds are, you’ll probably leave with minimal purchases.
Would it surprise you to learn that music and playlists are one of the factors that affect your shopping behavior?
A company called Soundtrack Your Brand did a study in Sweden in 2017, testing how music affects purchasing behavior. There was a 9.1% difference in overall sales when brands played music that matched the brand compared with when they played randomly selected popular songs.
Consistency between in store music and brand voice increased sales. Specifically, the study measured that playing music that fits the brand made guests more likely to buy additional items. It helped with the brand immersion experience.
The study also examined bars and restaurants, which showed a link between the quantity of food ordered and the background music in a restaurant. But that’s a topic a lot of people like to investigate.
One Australian company QSIC is looking to help brands who wish to drive sales upwards by “using artificial intelligence and machine learning to play music that influences the “moods, mind sets and behaviors” of retail and hospitality customers.”
The company uses site specific technology called AVA, or Autonomous Volume Adjustment, AVA, using AI to listen to environments and independently adjusts the volume of individual speakers around the store to streamline a customer’s shopping experience. The equipment used to customize these playlists include cameras and audio equipment to gather real time information, and external factors, such as holiday timing and weather.
While the company is only currently operating in Australia, there are plans to expand internationally, which means American customers better watch out: you might accidentally start spending more than you mean to thanks to these guys.
What do you think? Does music affect the way you shop? Let us know on Twitter.
