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The benefit of music to retail businesses and plant health

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Rhythm and Blooms

As we all know, Spring and gardening go hand-in-hand, and with the Chelsea Flower show taking place this week and a plethora of other seasonal events, now is the perfect time to get your garden centre, florist or garden goods stockist ready for the warmer (and busier) months ahead.

But as everyone knows, running a successful business and attracting customers is about more than just great products and services, it’s often about the whole experience.

Garden Centre Association award winners, Langlands Garden Centre know all about creating a great atmosphere for their customers and enticing visitors in – including using music to help them to hit the right note time and time again. Here, Cecilia Hall from the Yorkshire based brand alongside PPL PRS – the organisation responsible for issuing TheMusicLicence for businesses who use music – share their thoughts on how to create the perfect atmosphere for customers throughout the year and how the right soundtrack can help get the most out of businesses season after season.

Play it cool

A visit to a garden centre type store can be fairly different to other retail premises or cafés and is often much more of an occasion than it would be at other businesses, which is why playing music can be a great way to engage with customers and enhance their experience.

But just before you turn on the radio or choose a playlist, consider both your brand and what your customers would enjoy. 

Since garden centres are relaxing environments, you may want to consider gentle, more melodic sounds, which can create a calming, and soothing atmosphere thanks to the combination of the two senses – listening to music and looking at greenery and flowers.

Stay in-tune

One of the best things about gardening, and indeed shopping for gardening essentials is that there are huge variations depending on the time of the year, and music can be a great tool to complement this and help to enhance the overall experience.

Playing the right kind of music can help to put visitors into the right mood, encourage them to stay longer and spend more as a result.

According to a recent survey conducted by PPL PRS, almost half of people said they would be more inclined to stay longer in a business if background music was playing¹, while 66% of UK adults say that the type of music a shop or business plays influences what they buy.²

By choosing music that reflects the seasons, businesses can instantly feel more relatable, helping to boost the atmosphere and put customers in the buying mood.

Music definitely brightens up the mood and can help to keep energy levels up…”
Langlands Garden Centre

Harness healthy habits

As gardeners, we know that the right environment can lead to healthier plants but might not know that music can actually help with this.

Studies suggest that plants can grow up to 20% higher when classical music is played, while jazz is also thought to help³ so consider choosing these genres in your business when thinking about both the health and appeal of your plants this summer.

Consider your staff

More often than not, happy staff mean happy customers and since music can have a huge impact on employee engagement, playing it in businesses can be beneficial to both staff and customers alike.

At Langlands, the team spend 8-9 hours listening to it and without it would just feel really boring. As Cecilia explains, “Music definitely brightens up the mood and can help to keep energy levels up.”

It can make staff feel more valued and can potentially lead to improved customer services levels as a result. Adding some upbeat songs into your playlists can help to rejuvenate tired staff and can add a burst of energy during long shifts or repetitive tasks.

These are just a selection of tips for making the most out of your business and attracting customers. For more information visit our Langlands success story here. 

References

1.Survey of 2,101 UK respondents by Perspectus Global in September 2021

2.Survey performed by Attest based on 500 UK adults, in February 2023

3.https://diygarden.co.uk/growing/effects-of-music-on-plant-growth

Author

Picture of Rhiannon Jepson

Rhiannon Jepson

Rhiannon Jepson is a Member of The Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has worked in communication roles for around 7 years. She joined PPL PRS in November 2017, shortly after studying for a degree in English Literature, where she developed her love of writing and creativity. Since then, she has completed the CIPR Foundation course and enjoys bringing together her love of communications and music through her role as Senior PR & Communications Executive.
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