Atmospherics

As I leisurely browsed books at Barnes & Noble the other day, I realized I'd been (subconsciously) listening to slow, smooth jazz. I began to ponder the psychology of different music at different stores, and what makes people tick when shopping.

The study of atmospherics is really intriguing to me (I'm so glad this actually has its own name). Why does the slow and quiet music work for B & N, and why do Hollister and American Eagle require blasting, overpowering beats? How are acoustics of a store chosen and built?

Fun facts (some more obvious than others):

• Since Hollister markets toward teens and young adults, marketing teams use overpoweringly loud beats (and smells) to create a "party all the time" atmosphere. Fast, bumping music is also more apt to cause a person to make impulse purchases, whether they realize it or not.
• Certain restaurants don't add acoustics because they want to let chatter and the clanging of silverware bounce all over to maintain a lively (and presumably successful) atmosphere.
• Loud music = short stays, more impulse buys. Soft music = longer stays, more thoughtful and prolonged buys.
• In advertising, music composed specifically to match a product is often more successful.

Pretty cool/creepy, eh?

To read more about this kind of stuff:

• Psychology Today
• Suite 101

The first half of this article talks about store lay-out, which is just as interesting:

• FreeholdPatch