In the EU-funded EU Music 360 study, the effects of music on customer and employee experience in the retail sector in Finland are being investigated. The research began in February 2024 and will continue until the end of April.
The study aims to determine how business is affected when a store environment plays a playlist tailored to the brand compared to a randomly selected playlist. At the heart of it all is the experience of both customers and staff with music in the retail environment.
Participating shopping centers include Vantaa’s Jumbo-Flamingo, Helsinki’s Kannelmäki Kaari, Tampere’s Ratina, and Raisio’s Mylly. The effects of music are also being studied at the store level in the Finnish bookstores Suomalainen Kirjakauppa of these aforementioned shopping centers. S-Market Pendoliino in Tampere has been selected from grocery stores to participate.
Results regarding the influence of different playlists will be available during spring 2024. The findings will assist companies in making data-based decisions on what kind of music to play to ensure the best possible customer experience and employee satisfaction.
“In the EU Music 360 research project, we aim to explore the value of music across different industries and environments. In Finland, we focus on the retail sector, where we have six excellent partners who want to listen to their customers, better understand the emotional experience created by music use, and improve the customer experience and performance of their retail spaces through research-based insights,” says Lauri Ogawa, CEO of GT Musiikkiluvat Oy.
GT Musiikkiluvat Oy is a company owned by copyright organizations Gramex and Teosto, responsible for conducting the research in Finland in collaboration with survey partner Feedbackly. Royalty payments collected through licensing fees paid by music-using companies are an important source of income for music professionals such as composers and performers.
“It’s great to be part of research that generates data that, when combined with our selected data points, helps us find ways to improve both customer and employee experiences. We change background music in our stores based on factors like the season and campaigns, and the significance of background music is significant, including factors like volume, genre, tempo, and sound quality,” summarizes Ari Hokkanen, location manager of Suomalainen Kirjakauppa.
“We’re excited to be part of this research. We constantly strive to improve both our customer and employee experiences, and we believe background music has a significant impact on both,” says Mira Salo, Marketing Manager of the Mylly shopping center.
“Especially the staff have gotten an extra boost from the music, and some have even noticed themselves humming along with the music. Customers have also shown positive interest in the research,” says Anne Kaskela, market manager of S-market Pendoliino.