Here’s The Secret Reason Grocery Stores Play Music

According to some reports, the music you hear at grocery stores may have a lot to do with your actions in said store but is there any credibility to this claim?

According to Matt Gresia, a money and shopping expert with 3 million followers on TikTok, who shared a video explaining the reasoning behind the music, which is sometimes slow and boring, played in stores.

Gresia claims that the music is designed to make people spend more. According to him, the music that plays in the store can have an effect on how you shop and also guide your habits as you browse the catalogs.

Some stores play music at a slower tempo because it is "purposely slower than the human heartbeat which gets you to relax and slow down," says Gresia.

He also added, "That makes you spend more time in the store and ultimately you'll spend more money."

The idea of playing music in grocery stores was the focus of a 1982 study conducted by a marketing professor named Ronald E. Milliman.

The research found that the tempo of the music played in stores actually affects a customer's shopping pace as they walk the aisles and, in turn, the volume of sales in the store.

The slow music makes customers enjoy a more leisurely shopping experience which leads them to spending more time buying more items.

Specifically, Milliman found that a grocery store experienced a boost in sales that was 38% higher on days that slow-tempo music was played.

Alternately, another study by researchers Cain-Smith and Curnow proved that loud music made shoppers spend less time in a store.

The kind of music to be played in a store varies depending on the store but studies have shown stores with music playlists tend to enjoy more sales.

When it comes to what type of music is best for the shoppers, a survey revealed that the best type of music is a mix of well-known '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s.

The three top music genres preferred by both customers and associates include classic rock, classic hits, and classic R&B.

The music is played at the volume of a conversation, and the playlist can be rotated depending on the time of day for morning, afternoon, and evening shoppers.

Next time you're in a store, pay attention to what is being played and how it affects you.