Here's The Reason Grocery Stores Play Music

Whether you're a major music fanatic or you don't even notice what's playing in the background wherever you might be — like say, the grocery store — music actually has a huge impact on you. From your eating habits to how you shop, the music playing can change a lot about how much you eat or buy. And this isn't a recent phenomenon. Scientists have been studying the impact of music on how people shop for groceries since 1966, according to The Daily Meal.

From that first study, scientists found that there was a positive impact (for the grocery store's bottom line) when "softer, calmer music" was played. Music that was loud and fast caused shoppers to leave the store sooner than those who shopped in a more melodic atmosphere. In 1982 when another study was conducted, the same results were found, including that downtempo music was better for sales. In fact, sales increased by nearly 40% in grocery stores where downtempo music was played.

Even in more recent years, researchers have uncovered new ways that music can drive sales in grocery stores. A 2011 study published in the research journal Marketing Letters, for example, found that songs that fit the earlier findings but were also set in a minor key (i.e., a sadder key) could lead to a 12% increase in sales. And so, if all of these musical characteristics have you comparing your local grocery store's playlist with what it could apparently be playing in order to make more money, you might be wondering what kind of songs that would include.

According to Vibenomics, the genre is just as important as the minor, downtempo music being played softly. The music genre can help the customers connect with the store more and ultimately spend more while they pass longer periods of time shopping around. As Vibenomics explained, citing a 1993 research study published in the journal Advances in Consumer Research, classical music can lead people to buy wine with a higher price as opposed to when pop music is played in a wine shop.

Clearly, reflecting the clientele can make quite an impact. So, be aware of the environment if you are grocery shopping on a budget.