Do you sing along in the grocery store?

Parting with hard earned cash can be rough.

But maybe a bit easier if you are in the right mood. Shopping experts know that the right song at a supermarket can boost sales, reports Marketplace.

Maybe mood music will even subliminally push customers to a certain product. Could it be music from Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga, who both offer fast-paced tunes of love, heartbreak and self-acceptance? Or maybe something else completely different is needed.

The DJs of the grocery store world consist of retail associates and marketers who choose just the right genre of music to help set the ambiance for shoppers and employees. 

Customers are diverse, which means “two shoppers may react differently to the same song,” explains James Kellaris, professor emeritus in the Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati.  That reaction can also change over time with shoppers being a diverse and moving target.

Kellaris was among the marketers and associates who spoke with Marketplace, a public media outlet that produces broadcast shows, podcasts, digital reporting and more.

“Hence the song is much less important than the general traits of the music, such as pace and familiarity, and the traits of the customers, such as demographics and musical tastes,” says Kellaris.

He adds that in-store music choices aren't just about shoppers.

"Music affects employees as well, with potential effects on morale, absenteeism, productivity and service quality," says Kellaris. "So, unlike other atmospheric features such as colors, lighting, scentscape, etc., music is particularly complicated."

Read the full article in Marketplace online.

Featured top supermarket image courtesy of iStock.