The influence of in-store music on wine selections

This field study investigated the extent to which stereotypically French an d German music could influence supermarket customers' selections of French and German wines. Music with strong national associations should activate r elated knowledge and be linked with customers buying wine from the respecti ve country. Over a 2-week period, French and German music was played on alt ernate days from an in-store display of French and German wines. French mus ic led to French wines outselling German ones, whereas German music led to the opposite effect on sales of French wine. Responses to a questionnaire s uggested that customers were unaware of these effects of music on their pro duct choices. The results are discussed in terms of their theoretical impli cations for research on music and consumer behavior and their ethical impli cations for the use of in-store music.