The Impact of Music on Consumer Behavior in Retail Environments: A
Review of Recent Studies Essay
The 2020 study by Pinto and colleagues examines how personnel, store layout,
and ambient elements affect customers’ impulsive decision-making when they
visit stores. Music is an appealing ambient factor since it is a readily controlled
aspect of the environment through tempo variation (Pinto et al., 2020). When
rapid music is played in the store, customers buy impulsively (Pinto et al., 2020).
At the same time, the study’s findings suggest that while a store’s ambiance is
essential in determining customer satisfaction, the number of employees and their
sales abilities are essential factors in impulsive buying and tangible assets to the
retail business (Pinto et al., 2020). Therefore, the article successfully
demonstrates that the music factor alone cannot be responsible for impulse
purchases and is connected to other factors, such as the store’s layout and
employees.
Rodgers, W., Yeung, F., Odindo, C., & Degbey, W. Y. (2021). Artificial
intelligence-driven music biometrics influencing customers’ retail buying
behavior. Journal of Business Research, 126, 401-414. Web.
The 2021 study by Rodgers and colleagues investigates how artificial
intelligence-based face and music biometrics affect consumers’ mental and
psychological states and how this affects their behavioral reactions in terms of
generating value. Stated differently, the authors contend that artificial intelligence
contributes to people’s understanding of musical trends and their impact on
consumer behavior. For instance, the authors contend that listening to enjoyable
music may cause the release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters linked to
reward (Rodgers et al., 2021).
While clients shop, shopping centers that use neural networks or machine
learning devices can improve their moods or reduce tension (Rodgers et al.,
2021). In this instance, when consumers are exposed to music while shopping, it
can regulate, enhance, and lessen unpleasant emotional states like stress or
exhaustion (Rodgers et al., 2021). Overall, with the help of such findings, the
readers can see the importance of understanding complex concepts that can help
in shopping mall management. Such a contribution to the field demonstrates the
integration of artificial intelligence in all areas of the retail sector.
Sun, W., Chang, E. C., & Xu, Y. (2023). The effects of background music
tempo on consumer variety-seeking behavior: The mediating role of
arousal. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. Web.
The 2023 article by Sun and colleagues stresses the effects of music on the
purchasing behavior of consumers. For example, diverse purchases can assist
businesses in striking a balance between sales and inventory, which is crucial for
maximizing profitability (Sun et al., 2023). More specifically, fast-paced
background music makes people more likely to look for variation (Sun et al.,
2023). Because fast-paced background noise increases customers’ levels of
excitement, which in turn increases their propensity to search for variation, the
main impact is amplified by stimulation (Sun et al., 2023).
Moreover, the effect of background music pace on consumers’ tendency to seek
variation is mitigated by respondents’ familiarity with the music (Sun et al.,
2023). The speed of music in the background will significantly influence
consumers’ preference for variety when they are well used to the type of music
they listen to (Sun et al., 2023). As a result, music is a crucial component in
inducing purchases and variety-seeking approaches.
Wang, S., Mirny, D., & Moulton, T. (2023). Music in consumer behavior:
The effect of background music on time perception for online
consumers. Journal of Student Research, 12(1), 1-9. Web.
The 2023 study by Wang and colleagues does not simply focus on the songs as a
marketing tool but emphasizes how they influence the perception of time. In
businesses, background music is a key instrument for advertising that uses tempo
changes, lyrics, dynamics changes, and many other musical aspects to create
experiences for consumers (Wang et al., 2023). For example, many recall their
childhood experiences of standing in line for ice cream while enjoying melodies
from ice cream trucks (Wang et al., 2023).
The current study adds to this work by assessing customer behavior and
experimentally changing the background music type in a web-based purchasing
activity. Both their impression of the amount of time they spent on an assignment
and their readiness to pay for a range of hedonistic and utilitarian goods were
measured (Wang et al., 2023). In contrast to other studies, the current findings
provide insight into how various musical genres influence how customers
perceive time in a retail environment (Wang et al., 2023). Thus, the work
contributes to a better understanding consumer perceptions and the main factors
that can shift them.
Yi, F., & Kang, J. (2019). Effect of background and foreground music on
satisfaction, behavior, and emotional responses in public spaces of shopping
malls. Applied Acoustics, 145, 408-419. Web.
The purpose of the 2019 study by Yi and King is to investigate the effects of
various music genres on consumers’ emotional reactions to the commercial
setting, behavior intention, and level of fulfillment in public shopping malls. The
findings demonstrated that although foreground music can raise arousal,
background music can improve people’s favorable assessments of their
surroundings, encourage approach behavior, and enhance satisfaction and control
(Yi & Kang, 2019).
Compared to other places, a vast atrium space has a much stronger musical effect
(Yi & Kang, 2019). Regarding specific musical environments, men are more
satisfied and aroused than women, while elderly individuals are less receptive to
music and more accepting of their surroundings than younger ones (Yi & Kang,
2019). Therefore, the given study’s findings make a significant contribution to
the field by demonstrating the intricacies of music as a marketing tool.
