Seasonal Music Can Boost Holiday Spending

Even those living in parts of the U.S. that never see snow are almost sure to hear the song “Winter Wonderland” while out shopping during the holiday season. Indeed, that song – which has been recorded 150-plus times by artists including Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Aretha Franklin and Harry Connick Jr.– is the most popular holiday song on shopping and retail playlists.

That’s according to the recently released “Rhythms of Retail: How Music Affects Holiday Spending” study sponsored by CouponFollow. For that study, the group analyzed Spotify data to find the top songs, artists and genres featured on diverse shopping and retail playlists and also surveyed 1005 Americans to gain insights into their shopping behaviors and categorized their responses by their favorite music genres.

Some other takeaways from the study:

• More than half of the respondents (52 percent) say holiday music enhances their shopping mood, but 19 percent want to leave or avoid entering when a store plays holiday music.
• In addition to Bennett’s version of “Winter Wonderland,” other highly rated songs include “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, Ken Darby Singers, John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra; “Sleigh Ride” by The Ronettes; “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole; and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Sam Smith.

“As the holiday season approaches, the right melody might just be a key to unlocking greater shopper satisfaction and increased sales,” the study’s authors note. “Our findings suggest a tailored approach to in-store music could enhance the shopping atmosphere, potentially increasing consumer spending.”

Click here for more from the study.