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Creating a Soundscape in Your Store

As shoppers enter a specialty food store, their brains instantly begin to analyze the environment. Their eyes are drawn to bright signs conveying valuable information; they pick up on visual cues that dictate the flow of traffic. Tempting aromas of freshly baked bread may draw customers toward the bakery while sampling stations create an interactive experience by inviting them to smell, touch and taste.

All too often, however, retailers focus solely on visual elements and neglect to engage the other senses. Many fail to give serious consideration to how shoppers experience a retail environment through their sense of hearing.

Rick Altman, author of Sound Theory/Sound Practice, defines a soundscape as “the characteristic types of sound commonly heard in a given period or location. By creating a soundscape conducive to shopping, retailers can dramatically alter the feel of their stores, enhance customers’ experiences and improve business.

Studying Shopper Behavior
Envirosell, the New York City-based research and consulting firm founded by retail anthropologist and best-selling author Paco Underhill, studies human behavior in retail spaces. “We are basically design helpers, explains Director of Prototype Design Research Craig Childress. “We work with retailers and designers to create store environments that fit the merchants’ goals while accommodating the behavior of shoppers.

By using undercover “trackers to unobtrusively study the habits of shoppers, Envirosell has compiled an immense body of data. A tracker watches a shopper from the moment she enters the store and takes notes on each of her actions. The company’s data department enters all the notes and crunches the numbers. Through this evolving science, Envirosell has learned quite a bit about human behavior in the retail environment.

In Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, Underhill translates Envirosell’s research into relevant insights for retailers. He writes, “The amount of time a shopper spends in a store (assuming he or she is shopping, not waiting in a line) is perhaps the single most important factor in determining how much she or he will buy. The goal is clear: Encourage customers to stay in your store for as long as possible. Factors such as store layout, aisle width, use of signage, lighting and even temperature affect a shopper’s mood and desire to remain in a retail environment. Yet one environmental aspect remains vastly overlooked—the element of sound.

Get the Music Right
Typical sounds emanating from a specialty food store may include the electronic beeps of items being scanned, the low drone of conversation among employees and customers, perhaps some piped-in music. The music may be soft and barely noticeable, or it could be loud and jarring. As customers come through the door, sounds begin to affect their perception of the store. This presents a great opportunity for retailers to engage customers ona subconscious level. When well thought out, in-store music can influence shoppers’ actions and spending habits.

Music affects mood. A song can soothe or stimulate, induce nostalgia, and evoke strong emotions. Putting customers in a good mood by playing the right kind of music encourages them to spend more time shopping. Because more time in the store means more money spent, it is imperative retailers get the music right.

When selecting music for in-store play, retailers should do the following:

1. Know the demographics.
When devising your in-store playlists, you must take into account customer demographics. “The most common mistake is music that matches the demographics of a store’s employees rather than its customers, Childress reports. “Music that appeals to twenty-something salespeople is usually not what makes shoppers in their mid-40s feel comfortable. Don’t send a mixed message with music that is inappropriate for your clientele. “Loud dance music makes older shoppers feel like they don’t belong in the environment, says Childress.

Depending on a store’s location, customer demographics may vary throughout the day. A café near an industrial park might cater to a business clientele around lunchtime but serve families in the evening. Music should be varied during the day to accommodate different crowds.

In-store music providers like La Jolla, Calif.-based Trusonic allow retailers to program different playlists for specific blocks of time by using a hard drive player that works like an iPod. “For chain stores, the player can be controlled from one centralized location and programming can be done for the entire day in advance, explains Jean Coté, director of marketing at Trusonic.

2. Make choices that reflect your image.
“Music adds a context in which to shop, explains Dan Storper, founder and CEO of Putumayo, a New York City-based company that provides world music compilation CDs to retailers. Storper’s business was born out of his own needs as a retailer. An owner of several boutiques specializing in clothing made from traditional Latin American textiles, he wanted his stores’ music to reflect the merchandise. Storper worked with an in-store music provider to create a four-hour tape of world music featuring Brazilian, Cuban and American artists. “It made a huge difference immediately, he says. “Shoppers seemed more relaxed and engaged. Storper recognized his idea’s potential and grew Putumayo into a successful business that currently serves 3,000 independent retailers. The company has produced more than 100 world music compilations designed for the retail environment, including Music from the Chocolate Lands, a collection of songs from the world’s chocolate- producing countries.

“Music reinforces a store’s brand and encourages repeat visits, says Trusonic’s Coté. “It works with the interior design and the store’s branding theme to create a specific atmosphere. Customers learn what to expect, and they want to return for that same experience. Coté points to Cracker Barrel as an example. “Their branding theme is a down-home, old country store. They enhance that image by choosing rustic music like country and folk.

Music should also engage shoppers. “Playing songs that are just somewhat recognizable versus playing songs that are clearly recognizable can increase shoppers’ time in a store, says Envirosell’s Childress. Hearing music that is slightly unfamiliar may stimulate customers’ curiosity and encourage them to linger. “Music must be compelling, Storper adds. All the compilations produced by Putumayo share certain criteria to make them appropriate for the retail environment. “I select high-quality recordings of songs with pretty melodies and beautiful voices, Storper says.

3. Check the decibels.
Volume should vary depending on your store’s typical shopper group size, according to Childress. If the majority of customers come in pairs or groups, the music must be low enough for them to carry on conversations comfortably; if most people come alone to shop, it can be slightly louder. Turn the volume too high, however, and even lone shoppers will flee. Music should remain in the background; don’t play it so loudly that it overwhelms shoppers. When customers feel comfortable in the auditory environment—stimulated by the music but not distracted by it—they will spend more time in the store.

4. Set the pace with tempo.
“Studies show that faster music speeds up actions while slower music slows them down, says Trusonic CEO Joe Tebo. If your aim is to encourage customers to hang around as long as possible, make sure the music is slightly down-tempo, but if you run a busy café you can play energetic songs to help turn tables more quickly. Tempo should be varied throughout the day to reflect the ebbs and flows of business.

A Sound Investment
“There was a time when no one even thought the visual aspects of retailing were important. The idea was to carry the product, and people would come to buy it, Envirosell’s Childress recalls. “As stores began to look more and more alike, shrewd retailers realized they needed to set their shops apart with new designs. Music and sound is another way to achieve that goal. Retailers are recognizing that by giving thought to the often-overlooked element of sound, they can achieve greater business success.

Jennifer Maslow is associate editor of Specialty Food Magazine.