Of more than 1000 shoppers surveyed, 73 percent notice in-store music, and 40 percent of that figure will stay longer in the shop if they like the music. The same proportion, 40 percent, will leave if they don’t like it.

The survey results also show that 49 percent of shoppers have stayed longer in shops because of the music, compared to 45 percent that have not. And an incredible half of shoppers surveyed – excluding “don’t knows” – have walked out of a shop because they didn’t like the music or because it was annoying.

Said Immedia CEO Bruno Brookes (pictured): “Brands currently spend upwards of £25bn on visual point-of-sale material.  However, while the retail, hospitality and FMCG industries take great care in thinking about what customers see, nowhere near the same investment goes into optimising what they hear.

“In fact, audio is the single most effective way to capture the attention and imagination of people who are on the move inside your store.”

Added the company’s scientific advisor Vicky Williamson: “Music has a  dual layer of general and specific psychological effects, whether we notice its presence or not.

In general terms, music can profoundly affect our mood, emotions and energy levels.  Studies have shown that we naturally exploit these effects everyday by using music to optimise our state of mind. This new survey demonstrates how similarly important ‘background music’ is to our experiences. Music is no less powerful just because it is chosen by someone else.”

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