Can music increase sales?

Some very interesting UK market research has suggested that playing music in your store can ultimately increase sales. Is it that simple and can music boost sales for a confectionery retailer I wonder?

The research was undertaken by music licensing organisations PPL and PRS for Music. They talked to 1008 small and medium sized enterprises (many of them of course did NOT sell confectionery!). Here is what they discovered in a nutshell:

• 55% felt that playing music could increase your sales
• 79% believed that it could create a better atmosphere for customers
• 81% said that playing music increased staff morale
• 25% said that they would lose business without it
• 86% felt that music could help to relieve tension or awkward silences for their customers

Now I haven’t personally been into many stores selling confectionery (except the likes of department stores) and found their choice of music gently surrounding the sweets I might like to indulge in. Maybe we are missing a trick here? Has anyone tried music in their shop to positive or negative effect? We would love to know!

Retailing certainly needs to appeal to the senses and whilst confectionery retailing can easily appeal to sight and sometimes smell, why not our hearing too? But then what style of music would you play? Get it wrong and your customers will turn right round and leave before buying a thing! Retailers seeking that old fashioned look might wish to choose some suitably aged music to get their customers into the right time frame whilst shops targeting a younger audience might consider something a little more up to date. Could it work? There is only one way to find out. 

For more confectionery retailing thoughts please take a look at www.sweetretailing.co.uk 

Update...we received these interesting comments from Dawn at The Candy Cabin in Chesterfield. We welcome further thoughts!

Just a few thoughts on playing music in my candy store. I have a PPL license, I usually play Radio 2 as it covers a wide range of audiences. However some of the midday chat can be partly controversial at times so I then switch to my iPod. I usually play 80's or 90's soft pop; no rock or dance/trance stuff. Strictly 'top-40'. I had a comment from customers, all positive, on playing music. One customer told me he thought it was very cool walking into a sweet shop that plays 80's music!

I couldn't work in the shop without music. It would just be too quiet!! As long as the music is calm, uplifting and not too loud it can help the customer experience.

Thanks Dawn, it's good to know that music can actually have a positive impact in a sweet shop.