The stereo system in the store is a valuable tool. Thoughtful use of music is good for customers, employees and accounting. – No music, it's a disaster. Then we might as well close the store, says Talia Sofie Gran at Lille Vinkel Sko.
/ 12/08/2019 / Kristian DugstadRunning a successful business is demanding. Creating good customer experiences costs time and money. Design, interior design and lighting are some of the tools that contribute to the well-being and profitability of a customer location. Similarly, the music that is played is an important part of the overall experience.
On a rainy summer day, TONO visited five of his customers at Byporten Shopping in Oslo.
– I see with one hundred percent certainty that the music that is played has an impact on the customers who shop, says Talia Sofie Gan at Lille Vinkel Sko.
Watch the video from Byporten Shopping here. The story continues below.
A well-chosen playlist is a tactic many people use, and for good reason. In a 2017 survey, three out of four Norwegians said they want customer premises to have music.
The survey was conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Nordic TONO companies, and also shows that 70 percent of those surveyed prefer music they already know.
At clothing store MPH|Milesperhour, they never leave music to chance. General manager Morten Olesen wants the playlist to give customers something extra.
– What we do here is very conscious. We always take our customers into account. In the morning we play quieter music, in the afternoon we make it a little more exciting. If we had turned it off, I think business would have gone down.
On the opposite side of the center, one floor up, is the Doda dance store. Ballet costumes, dancewear and shoes hang on the walls, and Elisabeth Syrdahl Ellingsen stands behind the cash register. Like Olesen, she is skeptical of a working day without music.
– It wouldn't have been possible without music. Dancing and music go together. I think music has a very big impact on customers when they come in. I usually play Motown Classics, then it's hard not to smile.
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Music doesn't just have an effect as a mood-setter for customers.
For employees who serve customers, clean and style, or serve coffee and rolls – for them, music is the soundtrack to their workday. Many of them find that it helps to keep the mood up every single day.
– Music is important to our work environment. We love having music around us so that we can communicate with customers and at the same time be in a good mood. It has actually happened that we have had technical problems so that we cannot play music. It ends in panic, says Gran at Lille Vinkel Sko.
She is not alone in placing great value on music. The constant refrain among employees in the various stores at Byporten Shopping is that the workday starts with music.
– The first thing I do when I get home in the morning is turn on the music. That's when you get started, says Tonje Wang Tønsvoll at Høyer Woman.
– I love listening to music. As soon as I get to work, I start the music. It becomes more relaxed, the atmosphere is better and people can come here to enjoy themselves, says Jennifer Brosgård at Espresso House.
The story continues below the picture.
Behind every song there are creators. Composers and lyricists who have given of themselves to create the music we listen to. These songs color our lives, both in private and public.
With a TONO agreement for background music, stores and restaurants can play exactly what they want, while knowing that those who create the music are getting paid.
– It's good that there is a place that ensures that the music is not just used without those who made it getting something in return, says Ellingsen at Doda dance shop.
The income from TONO is an important part of the livelihood for many music writers. This money helps them to continue creating future classics.
– Just as I get paid by the hour, musicians must be paid for the music they have made, which we have the pleasure of being allowed to play in the stores. We wouldn't have been able to play music if people hadn't made music and spent money on it, says Gran at Lille Vinkel Sko.
