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.

Sell sweets with a smile

We might all know that offering good customer service is a step in the right direction to a successful confectionery retail business, but it is always useful to find some factual reasoning behind this, especially when the UK high street is struggling to find its way. 

YouGov has recently undertaken a consumer poll to understand what brightens someone’s day – all the more important when the weather is so damp and dismal. Most of the key things that the poll highlighted don’t cost a penny and we think that bricks and mortar UK confectionery retailers can really excel in “day brightening” given that confectionery is generally a fun purchase. 

The top way to help someone’s day go well is to give them a nice big smile. What’s more, a smile is a two way thing as you tend to get a smile back and that brightens your own day too! High up on the list is to say “Good morning” – another simple winner. Other relevant key day brighteners include:

·         Offering a compliment

·         Giving them time to chat

·         Holding the door open for them

·         Listening 

These can all be implemented in a confectionery retail environment at NO cost whatsoever. The simple commercial logic is that if you can brighten someone’s day a little, they will enjoy coming into your shop, might buy more sweets and are more likely to come back and tell their friends - all helping you to sell more sweets. 

It really might seem obvious to many, but given some of the poor personal service and interaction I have received from many retailers in recent times, there is certainly no harm in stating the obvious when the opportunity arises! A high level of customer service will have a positive impact on your sales and comes at little or no cost to your business. 

What the YouGov research did underline is that not every simple action can be replicated in a retail environment. I don’t know many sweet shops that give you a hug, make you a cup of tea and buy you flowers whilst you decide what treats you decide to indulge in. 

So don’t let the weather get your confectionery sales down and focus on bringing the sun back into your customers’ days. 

For lots more talk about UK confectionery retailing visit our website at www.sweetretailing.co.uk 

Visit YouGov at www.yougov.co.uk