Shoppers want to hear Christmas music in EARLY DECEMBER, with 1980s classics the popular choice – and 1 in 6 are set to buy more as a result.

Halloween is over, Christmas lights illuminate high streets and everyone’s talking about the latest adverts. But as a retailer, you might be wondering when the right time is to play festive music to avoid irritating shoppers and staff.  

Our survey of 500 shoppers in the UK reveals that most want to hear Christmas songs in early December (36%) – despite noticing stores play it from the start of November (42%) and even October (21%). A meagre 3% desire to listen in late December; a safe bet is stopping after Christmas but there is a wealth of seasonal tunes that don’t namecheck the celebration.  

When shoppers are in the mood for Christmas music, they’re all ears – over a third (38%) want to hear it ‘constantly’ while 31% will settle for ‘every other song’.  

For any managers wondering what Christmas music to play in retail, the ‘golden age’ is the late 20^th century. The most popular era being the 1980s – think Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ and Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ – followed by 1990s anthems like ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ by Mariah Carey.  

 Enthusiasm trails off for festive tunes from 2000 to present and traditional carols – only 32% of people like them.  

Welcome news is the anticipated high street footfall. Nearly all those surveyed confirmed they would be shopping for Christmas presents in person this year – only 3% said they won’t. Most (49%) say they’ll visit a mix of brick-and-mortar stores and online. So, creating the perfect atmosphere has never been more important – and music can really help.  

Timed right, seasonal tunes could drive sales. One in six (15%) shoppers want to buy gifts upon hearing it, while 18% spend more time in the store. The positive impact on emotion is clear; it fills them with festive spirit (53%) and makes them happier (42%).    

Donna Gutteridge, Culture and Service Lead at Oliver Bonas commented: 

“When it comes to the in-store music at Oliver Bonas, I always press the Christmas play button on the last Saturday in November. 

“I choose this day because it’s the perfect balance for our team members and customers. It just feels right. And always on the Saturday, as it gives the team a real boost as it starts to get busier and busier in our stores. 

“The ratio of Christmas music to everyday music is about one Christmas song every 4th or 5th song, we have perfected the frequency over the years by asking the teams for their feedback. Some of the store team members would have Christmas music playing all year round so this is the perfect compromise. Plus, we hand pick all our songs and curate our own playlist and so the teams would miss the everyday music. Mostly for our teams, I know they really look forward to hearing our Christmas playlist kick in, they say it means Christmas has truly began. 

“We find that playing Christmas music in our stores lifts the moods of our teams and customers, making them feel merry, and bringing them joy. Customers are likely to spend more time browsing and enjoy the in-store experience if they are listening to great tunes and I know the teams love to sing along. The style of Christmas music we play is a fantastic conversation starter and helps us to engage with our wonderful customers.” 

 PPL PRS’ Music Therapist Marianne Rizkallah commented: 

 “Hearing familiar music takes us back to points in our childhood and as we’re growing up – hopefully happy memories of quality time with our families, and a reminder of childlike wonder and excitement, a sense of looking forward to time with our loved ones and looking forward to the new year. So shops can tap into that emotion when playing Christmas music, which may increase the time spent in store by a customer during the festive period. 

“Much like playing familiar Christmas songs while putting up decorations at home, Christmas music can help evoke a warm, joyful and excited atmosphere which makes us think of our loved ones and want to share gifts and experiences with them. Which may make customers more willing to spend more to gift their loved ones. 

“Music that accompanies Christmas songs should match the festive mood. PPL’s own analysis of the most played Christmas songs of the 21^st century shows that many Christmas songs have a BPM of 120 and are overwhelmingly in major keys, so using music that has those qualities should keep spirits high.”