I did a quick search and found that there are a considerable number of academic papers on the relationship between background music and the behaviour of shoppers. The results generally suggest that background music does have an effect on shoppers but the relationships between the type/style of music and the effect are not simple and are difficult to tease out.

One meta-analysis based on a number of studies came to the following conclusions.

Familiarity/liking has a positive effect on patronage;

• The mere presence of music has a positive effect on patronage as well as felt pleasure;


• Slower tempo, lower volume and familiar music results in subjects staying marginally longer at a venue than when the tempo or volume are high, or the music less familiar;


• A higher volume and tempo, and the less liked the music, the longer customers perceive time duration. This has most implications for waiting customers.


• Tempo has the greatest effect on arousal.