How To Choose The Right Music For Your Pop-Up Store

Curating the perfect playlist for your pop-up store is easier than you think. We’ve taken a look into why in-store music is important and how you can curate your ultimate playlist, deepen brand engagement and inevitably drive sales.

Research shows that people shop for longer and make more purchases when they’re exposed to (the right) music. There has been extensive research into the role of music in the retail environment and the influence it has on shoppers. We’re also seeing a rise in retailers curating their in-store playlists, as well as brands hiring DJ’s to provide the soundtrack to their pop-up experience. Aligning your brand with artists and genres that share similar values, aesthetics and tastes as you can deepen the level of brand engagement your customers feel.

Things To Consider

Everything from genre, tempo, the products, your customers tastes and the aspirations of both the brand and audience have to be considered. There are a few general rules to consider, however take these with a pinch of salt and stay true to your brand ethics because after all, you know your customers best.

Appealing to the subconscious Slow to medium paced music is good, fast paced music is bad as it makes people feel rushed. The potential that music can and will influence the mood of your customers in turn the amount of time (and money) they’ll spend in your pop-up store.

The music should somewhat ‘match’ what you’re selling, but remember you wouldn’t hear the same genre/artists being played in a florist that you would at a sneaker launch party. Applying the same guidelines that govern your social media stand-point to your music selection is a logical place to start, simplifying the process with tools that you already have.

Another important (and often forgotten) point is to be mindful of your staff, listening to 10 hours of Christmas music can be tough and as your shop assistants are most likely the first human interaction your customers will have experienced of your brand, it pays to have them on top form.

DJ Collaborations

Once sure fire way to ensure your in-store music is top notch is to hire a DJ. Aside from the obvious benefit of the tunes being taken care of, collaborating with a DJ can bring can further boost your pop-up store’s success in terms of footfall and social media presence and opens the door to engage with new potential customers.
These collaborations are happening more and more in pop-up retail, with brands in London and New York partnering with DJs and reaping the rewards of appealing to their customers tastes and tapping into another sense. The Rihanna and Puma collaborative collection launched earlier this year at Bergdorf Goodman, with a DJ of course, playing on the aspirations of the fans.

Kinfolk’s design headquarters in Brooklyn have hosted many a DJ and collaborated with brands to create one-off pop-up retail experiences, sharing audiences and interacting with customers in a new way over a series of curated events. Last year H&M held their Divided pop-up store at London’s Truman Brewery, they worked with upcoming DJs and created an immersive experience through carefully curated the music for their store.

Playlists we love – Brands doing it right

Utilizing music is something that Parisian brands have been championing for years, adding another facet to their brand’s identity and engaging their audience in a unique way. These brands have taken music curation to the next level and developed playlists that have evolved beyond the store and become famed in their own right, listened to daily by thousands of people all over the world.

Colette – Paris’ iconic concept store, Colette, has arguably one of the first and best playlists in the retail world. Colette’s man behind the music, Clémente has curated the playlist for the collaborative concept store for over a decade. Their playlist has grown in popularity, they’re producing podcasts and the brand is also an Apple Music Curator with it’s own channel.

Earlier this year Colette collaborated with Burberry, featured on Apple Music, the Burberry curated playlist featured British artists and was released to coincide with Paris Fashion Week. Burberry was the first global brand to have a dedicated channel on Apple Music, after launching the Burberry Acoustic Platform in September 2015.

Maison Kitsuné – Kitsuné Hot Stream is a perfect example of playlist curation taking on a life of its’ own and becoming a product. After huge successes sharing their compilations on Youtube, Soundcloud, Deezer and Spotify, Kitsuné now sell their curated compilations and a regular collaborators with up-and-coming artists.

So whether you’re an emerging brand planning your brick-and-mortar retail debut, or an established brand looking to deepen engagement with immersive experiential events, curating the perfect soundtrack for your store is a creative and powerful way to connect with your audience.

To find your perfect Pop-Up Store, take a look at top spaces in your city, or learn more about how it works with out Ultimate Pop-Up Guide