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How music plays an essential role in post lockdown retail.

How music plays an essential role in post lockdown retail.

THE ROLE OF MUSIC IN POST LOCKDOWN RETAIL

Despite the rapid growth in online retail, physical retail still plays an essential role in getting the products you need – seeing the product and consulting with a store associate is what makes happy customers. Music in retail stores is a vital aspect. If the visual components are the face of the store, music is the voice.

It’s important to understand the effect of the music that you play in-store as it runs deeper than you might expect. The right music can positively impact brand image, employee well-being, and foremost, customer moods and purchase.

Before COVID-19, online shopping was already growing year on year. While that is convenient and occasionally cheaper, in person shopping, especially when accompanied with tailored music playlists, provide consumers with a richer retail experience and better perception of the brand – crucial for establishing brand loyalty. Post lockdown shopping comes with many new norms; masks are obligatory, less crowds and social distancing. It is important that retailers create an environment that makes customers feel safe and relaxed – they need to do everything possible to entice people to choose to go back to stores rather than shop online.

There are several excellent reasons why playing the right music will benefit your post lockdown retail business, so stay with me while I go through some of them.

 

IT DEFINES YOUR BRAND

 

The style of music you play, along with the tempo and loudness, can define your brand’s personality.For example, you are at a shopping centre looking for formal clothes – you probably wouldn’t go into stores that is blaring dance music – a quieter more relaxed music would be suitable. But, if you are looking for casual attire, such as sneakers, you would probably be more inclined to visit a store playing a higher tempo/dance vibe.

IT BUILDS THE RIGHT ATMOSPHERE AND CREATES PERSONAL SPACE

 

According to market research, 75% of customers don’t like noise and murmur. Here is why music comes as the friend in need. The in-store music will mask the sounds of other people’s movements and voices, which will create customers’ feeling of personal space and privacy. High-key pop music can create a playful space for the shoppers, and slow rhythms can build a more relaxed and peaceful environment.

IT CAN SET THE PACE OF THE CUSTOMERS AND SHORTEN WAIT TIMES


In addition to the type of music, speed, rhythm, and volume are also essential. Studies show that this affects the pace of the customers while they are browsing. Setting different playlist styles can be based on desired goals for the time of the day. For example, slower music with the lower volume can improve a purchase increase due to encouraging customers to wander around and browse merchandise for a longer.

Alternatively a retailer can play louder music with a faster tempo before closing time to encourage customers to speed up their trip through the store. Research shows that music can affect people’s perception of time, so if a good playlist is entertaining, a long queue will feel shorter, and shoppers are less likely to be bored and/or annoyed at the wait.

 

IT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO STAY IN-STORE AND SHOP

 

Shoppers like to move to music, and in the US, 80% of people said that music makes shopping more enjoyable, so make sure to choose a playlist that will make your brand stand out compared to competitors.

Music reduces the stress hormones in our bodies and it can stimulate the shoppers’ subconscious mind. Different types of music can act as a trigger for specific purchases. For example, classical music can influence customers to buy more expensive products because it evokes a feeling of higher quality. It is also possible to support specific sales goals with the perfect playlist – such as playing French music may increase more sales of French wine.

If your shop music aligns with the subconscious of a customer who came in a hurry to buy just what they thought they need, you may not attract them to buy more, but you are generating a return prospect.

IT INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY

In-store music not only benefits the customers’ feelings and retailers’ sales but it alsohas a positive impact on employees. Well prepared playlists press play can become a great tool to boost their mood, concentration, and productivity while working.

Research undertaken in France showed that 77% of businesses agreed that their employees are more productive and concentrated on work while listening to special playlists. Many studies support that staff works more accurately and creatively when listening to music and will be more open to interacting with customers.

IN CONCLUSION

 

In-store music can be motivational for the staff’s working environment, and it can also be one of the critical elements of a customers’ experience of a brand/store. Creating the right sound to support the brand and make the best connection with the shoppers is essential. Here at BeatMix, we can solve all of the obstacles and create the perfect soundtrack for your brand that will elevate the customers’ experience and keep them returning to stores.

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