Readers reply: is there any evidence that playing Christmas music in shops improves sales?

Is there any evidence that playing Christmas music in shops helps to boost sales? Personally, I can’t get out quickly enough. JS, by email

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Readers reply

Not for me it doesn’t. I abandon my usual supermarkets (and pubs) in favour of those who avoid this awful muzak. JohnChanin

Many years ago, our council used to pipe Christmas music into the main commercial streets via tinny speakers mounted on the lamp-posts. People piled into the shops just to get away from it. EddieChorepost

One of the very few benefits of my increasingly crappy hearing is that I can no longer hear any of the muzak, Christmas or otherwise. unclestinky

I have a slight suspicion that I, along with the rest of the Guardian readership, am not wholly representative in my reply to this question. That being said, I hate Christmas music in shops and it makes me sick of Christmas by early December. Even worse, this year, my local park (Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh) was a fairground full of tinny Christmas songs, so a walk there meant hearing three or four conflicting tunes at the same time … jenkinsblenkinsop

Spare a thought for the staff. Many years ago, I was a Saturday girl at the local supermarket. The Christmas music started in late November and was repeated on a two-hour loop. It was unbearable – and I only worked one day a week. GrasmereGardens

I suspect that “I can’t get out quickly enough” is the whole point. They already know they’ll get more people in the door – music or not – but this way you get out quickly and make room for the next lot. People are more likely to come in if they can fit. ChiefVerdigris

I make a point of not entering anywhere playing any kind of music, Christmas or not. I’ve even stopped going to Lord’s to watch ODIs because the ECB insists on assaulting one’s ears with badly reproduced snatches of terrible pop music. The issue is that I’m a musician and no music is in the background – my brain foregrounds everything. Rotwatcher

I’ve read a bit about this because I’m autistic and struggle hugely with piped music. Apparently, about 10% of people actively like muzak, 20% actively dislike it and the rest don’t notice it. Shops lump the majority in with the likes, arguing that the 20% who dislike it are outvoted. This fails to recognise that the suffering felt by a disliker subjected to muzak is far, far greater than the suffering felt by a liker who has to shop in silence.

Basically, muzak, particularly if fast paced, increases stress hormones and makes people do more – spend more, eat more, drink more – even if they don’t realise the effect. Shops won’t stop. The extra spend they get from slightly stressed people clearly outweighs losing a small number of the intense dislikers. It’s so appallingly ableist, but who cares? Shop owners don’t and nor does most of society. lexicon_mistress

Can we change the question to “Is there any evidence that playing music in shops improves sales?” Among my friends, I am in the majority that actively refuses to enter shops that play a consistent racket, often over cheap and nasty PA systems. Why do they do it? When did this become a thing? If my partner or I absolutely have to go into such a shop, one will wait outside and the other will aim to complete the task in the shortest possible time. I assume that the big supermarkets all have licences to do this, but what about the little shops that do the same? Morrisons now has a “quieter hour” – 9am-10am on Saturday morning – when they don’t play music, so guess when I shop there? StumpyPumpy

I am a retired shopkeeper. It is difficult to say whether Christmas music drives sales, because at Christmas the thing that drives sales is Christmas itself; people buy more stuff. Therefore, even trying to do a like-for-like is pointless.

I was always careful with my choice of Christmas music. Some would say severe. For one thing, there was no Christmas music before 10 December, because I felt that two weeks was probably all flesh and blood could stand. I would allow Wombling Merry Christmas but not The Little Drummer Boy. Snow Coach by Russ Conway was OK as an ironic nod to the 60s, but not Mary’s Boy Child by Boney M. I had a recording of some Christmas carols on handbells for the late-night shopping events, which the customers loved, and also some Seeburg-type seasonal mall music, which the hipsters loved because it was adorably retro. I had to stop playing Phil Spector’s Christmas album because there was a problem with the licence, but I would listen to it when cashing up.

The wider question of whether playing music in a retail setting improves sales throughout the year is a good one. I believe it does, or did. I retired four years ago after 21 years of retail bliss; things might have changed. Of course, it depends on the music and, to some extent, the shop. I flatter myself that my choice of music was always appropriate, sometimes surprising, frequently engaging and always – crucially – at the right volume. And I will tell you my reasons.

Background music can work as a softener. I could not stand the sound of shuffling feet upon the shop floor. I don’t know why it irritated me so much, but it did. (My daughter: “Maybe you’re not cut out for this sort of work, Mum”). Having a bit of early-album XTC to deaden it worked wonders. It also meant that customers shopping together felt free to speak without anyone earwigging. (“How much? Blimey!” “I quite like it, but your dad would go mad.” “Ask if there’s any movement on price if we buy both.”) Customers do not like to feel scrutinised.

Also, a bit of background music is fun. I used to love it when customers would ask what was playing. I used to play Dave and Ansell Collins quite often at close of trade. One day, a young man asked me who it was and he carefully wrote down Dave Nancel-Collins. I put him right. I hope it started something for him. dianacomyns