OneMusic said while sleighbells are ringing, retailers are singing this Christmas, especially as festive music creates an ever-inviting ambience.
With the holiday season almost upon us, retailers around Aotearoa are right in the midst of enticing shoppers with festive decorations, Christmas deals, and of course, the omnipresent sounds of Christmas music.
But there’s more to these familiar tunes than first meets the ear. Christmas music has become an integral part of the festive shopping experience, subtly influencing our mood, behaviour, and ultimately, our spending habits.
From the beginning of December (and occasionally even as early as October) classic songs like Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ and more contemporary hits such as Sabrina Carpenters ‘A Nonsense Christmas’, play a key part in creating atmosphere while shoppers browse.
According to the team at background music supplier Storeplay, there’s a fascinating psychology to music, which has the power to increase conversion by about nine percent.
“People will walk in and out because they don’t like the music. The right music can see a 7.8 percent increase in conversion just because people enjoy it,” said OneMusic CEO Dean Cherny.
For many shoppers, all they want for Christmas is a balance between festive cheer and overplayed commercial tunes that can be hard to bear. And retailers are striving to ensure this.
While helping retailers curate playlists which suit their store atmosphere, Storeplay has also found there’s a decent amount of pushback on repetitive Christmas playlists. So, while traditional Christmas carols and classics continue to deck the malls, a new wave of festive soundtracks are also emerging. Retailers are increasingly turning to remixes and contemporary covers to appeal to a younger generation of shoppers. This evolution not only adds a fresh dimension to the holiday shopping experience but also reflects the changing tastes of consumers.
Chief Executive at Retail NZ, Carolyn Young, still thinks there’s still a place for both the classics and contemporary.
“Music is very personal, people connect to music for different reasons, whether it’s a memory or a feeling. Customers all have different tastes and it’s important to play a variety of music to appeal to a wide range of people,” said Young.
When it comes to the question of jingle fatigue, it seems there’s a shared consensus that while many enjoy the lead up to Christmas, by the time Boxing Day arrives, there’s a collective sigh of relief at the return to the Top 40.
Whether it’s jingle(s) all the way for you, or you’re more aligned to a Silent Night, retailers are taking care to ensure that every kind of shopper can find their flavour of musical comfort and joy this festive season.
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