How Does The Music In Clothing Stores Influence You?

Have you ever walked into a clothing store and felt like you were in a club? Well, you’re not alone in that. The music is usually very rhythmic, funky and loud. All of this has to do with sensory neuromarketing. But how exactly does this music influence you in clothing stores?

Does music make you buy more than you really wanted? How does that happen? What kind of music is usually played in these stores? In today’s article, we’re going to tell you the secrets of this increasingly popular practice. The effects of music in clothing stores are particularly often used in boutiques for young people.

How does music affect you in clothing stores?

According to Sánchez (2015), “M usic is part of all elements of the human and social dimension, sometimes without our being aware of it” . The truth is, the music in clothing stores affects your mood. As a result, it also has an impact on your purchasing decisions.

Companies are increasingly relying on sensory marketing (also known as sensory neuromarketing). This is marketing that directly influences your senses and stimulates your desire to buy. Within this form of marketing there are techniques that stimulate your hearing, in this particular case through music.

First of all, you should know that the music in clothing stores is usually not chosen at random. This is because the type of music (fast music, for example) stimulates your buying impulse.

But how exactly does this music influence you in clothing stores? Well, it restricts your self-control, affects your emotions and your mental state, in short, it leads you to impulse buying.

Does only loud music have such an effect?

In clothing stores and fashion boutiques, loud music is not the only thing that is played. That depends on the target group. Depending on the target audience addressed, the music is selected accordingly.

Therefore, the music in clothing stores and boutiques tends to be louder for young people. If older generations are to be addressed, the companies play more relaxing and calmer music, because it puts people in a state of calm and relaxation.

As you can see, it all depends on the target group, the type of clothing, etc. What we mean by that is that the boutique or clothing store adapts to its customers in an attempt to increase sales.

Overstimulation

Loud music floods your senses with stimuli and that in turn means that you think less when making decisions (in this case, about your purchase decision). Fast and loud music therefore prompts you to make more impulsive purchasing decisions because you are less able to go inside or think. Your cognitive attention system is saturated and there is no room for anything else.

In clothing stores in particular, music is often aimed specifically at young audiences, as they tend to make more impulsive decisions than older people. Hence, the music in clothing stores has a greater impact on them as well. As a result, if someone is already more impulsive, the corresponding music will have an even greater influence on that person’s purchase decision.

Although music affects everyone differently, its effects are usually very similar.

Music in clothing stores creates pleasant sensations

But the music in clothing stores doesn’t just make you make more impulsive and ill-considered buying decisions. In addition, it also ensures that you have a pleasant sensory experience in the boutique or store. This means that you feel comfortable in the shop and would like to stay there for a while. As a result, of course, this also increases the likelihood that you will buy something.

The music in clothing stores can improve your mood, make you forget your worries, and encourage you to buy (maybe more than you originally intended). In addition, you associate this boutique (or any other business) with a positive experience. The good feeling you have in this environment leads to stronger customer loyalty, which means that you will likely go to this store again.

Sensory neuromarketing: art or manipulation?

Now you know how the type of music in clothing stores (and any other store too) affects your buying behavior. Perhaps you enter the store in a depressed mood, are undecided or distracted. But the music that is played there lifts your mood, leads you to an impulsive reaction or you may even feel a real “urge” to have to buy something. And all too often you give in to that desire.

This is exactly what sensory neuromarketing is all about – it’s a science that studies, analyzes and applies this knowledge to the neurobiology of the senses. Sensory perception is explored in depth and the effects that stimulation of the senses has on the purchase decision are analyzed in detail.

The fact is: we are all “manipulated”. While it’s not illegal, you should still be aware of the strategies companies use to get you to buy. Because this can help you to be more careful and attentive when you want to buy things that you don’t really need.

In other words, we need to learn to be more responsible when shopping. Is sensory neuromarketing an art or pure manipulation? How far do the limits of marketing go? In any case, its power is undeniable.