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12/02/2010 -
Retailers looking to boost their credit card processing activity may want to take a good look at the music they are playing in stores, said a recent report.Creditcards.com cited various research studies showing how music can impact a consumer's spending habits. For example, retailers looking to capitalize on impulse purchases should play some instrumental or classical music over the store's PA system, as it can increase the likelihood that a consumer makes an impulse purchase.
"One theory: Classical music causes you to slow down and underestimate the amount of time you're spending in the store," the website reported. "And a shopper who leisurely strolls the aisles is more likely to toss extra items into her cart than one who's in a hurry."
Yet a retailer whose goal is to boost the number of shoppers who sign up for a store-branded credit card should play upbeat, catchy, popular tunes because it increases the likelihood of credit card signups, creditcards.com reported.
Regardless of the music they play, retailers can boost their overall sales by offering debit and credit card processing as part of their merchant services, experts say, because it allows them to appeal to a wider range of consumers and shopping behaviors.
