Vladislav L. Digital Audio Marketer

Music for supermarkets

Background music in supermarkets and hypermarkets is one of the most important components of a complex impact on the consumer's mood and behavior.

What exactly is music for supermarket visitors?

According to Retail.ru research, the greatest music for a supermarket sales area is music that a visitor would hear but not listen to, as it will distract them from the shopping. While being in the store the buyer should forget about his or her troubles and concerns. All of his mind must be preoccupied with what he sees around him. Promotions, sales, and discounts.

Popular songs will distract the buyer's attention. They can remind him of something, causing needless and often unpleasant associations. In this case, the customer may refuse some purchases and rush to leave, ultimately spending less than he could. As a result, the client's average check decreases. Branding experts advise avoiding playing well-known tracks as background music in supermarkets since it distracts customer’s attention.

What kind of music is suitable for supermarkets?

According to an Applied Acoustics magazine survey, "distinctive" speech—one that you hear and understand clearly causes distraction. Distinctive speech was rated as the most distracting element by 48% of participants. Therefore, the music that plays in supermarkets and hypermarkets should not be in the visitor’s native language - the visitor needs to fully concentrate on shopping, and not to think about the meaning of the playing song and become distracted.

The music content in the sales area should not contain "trendy" popular hits, dance tracks or music related to the personal preferences of the supermarket staff (rock, rap, etc.). Music should be of high quality, pleasant and neutral, and all tracks in the playlist should be selected in the same way, with the same volume level and without falling out of the general context.

The music in the sales area should not include "trendy" popular singles, dancing tunes, or music relating to the grocery staff's personal interests (rock, rap, etc.). Music should be of high quality, pleasant, and neutral, and every track in the playlist should be selected in the same manner, at the same volume level, and be a part of the overall context.