CHOOSE YOUR MUSIC – AND TURN DOWN THE VOLUME

“A lot of the literature in sensory marketing shows that you can change people’s food choices with music,” says Spence. For example, people will drink about 30% more if the music is fast and loud. There is emerging evidence to suggest loud noises trigger less healthy food behaviours, “which might be because there’s so much noise you can’t really taste what you’re eating”. Genre matters too – listening to jazz and classical music increases people’s preferences for healthy, savoury foods more than American rock, for example, which leads us more towards burgers and chips (something to bear in mind if you’re listening to music while shopping). In a study by Portuguese researchers, a supermarket played the sound of the sea near the fish counter and fish sales rose dramatically. “We know being exposed to nature is good for mental wellbeing, and I can’t help but wonder if playing these soundscapes harnesses that,” Spence says.