Retail experiences thrive on great visuals, displays, hospitality, and energy. But how much energy is too much? Brands are investing heavily into the in-store sensory experience, and for good reason; 84% of U.S. shoppers say sensory elements in retail spaces, like lighting, scent, music, layout, and temperature, influence whether they buy or not. There’s a caveat, however, when too much distraction delivers a negative experience.
Sensorial branding is evolving, and brands like Maison Francis Kurkdjian have developed a signature scent devoted to Air France, meant to be diffused within their planes and lounges. Louis Vuitton offers the LV food and beverage experience at Le Café by Louis Vuitton. The same can be said for Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, RH, and other savvy luxury brands. But one of retail’s most promising opportunities is also one of its most ignored: sound.
Why does retail have the highest employee turnover rate? And the answer is: Mental health and wellbeing are emerging as prime factors in why employees quit, and one not-so-silent reason is the sound level in stores.
Sonic Overload
Roughly 15.6 million people work 20-40 hours a week (or more) in environments they can’t mentally handle. Retail holds the highest voluntary turnover rate (26.7 percent), above any other industry. Not to mention, the average price to replace and train a new employee is $10,000. When a retailer loses over a quarter of its staff yearly, this expense gets out of hand quickly. There’s a myriad of explanations for the turnover, but one that is rarely addressed is the mental health and wellbeing impact of noise.
Think about it: It’s not just the guest who pays the price when a store is too loud; sound is a not-so-silent contributor to employee turnover. Sonic overload may get worse as brands lean deeper into sensory experiences without properly designing their public spaces with healthy sound in mind. Chute Gerdeman and Akoio investigated this growing problem and conducted in-store research by auditing over 20 different major retailers. We also asked employees questions related to wellbeing. The safe threshold of sound in a workplace is 70 decibels, with 85 decibels the OSHA legal threshold. Our research revealed that many stores are consistently above 80 decibels, which could be damaging over time. A key observation from the study: When stores are too loud, communication breakdowns increase. In some instances, staff members would leave the store entirely just to take a moment and reset.
Course Correction
Sound management is not a taxing investment. Sensory-friendly hours give staff and shoppers a chance to shop without distraction or mental overload; this is a particular concern for high-risk groups, including our neurodiverse and special needs communities. U.S. grocery brands are currently testing sensory-friendly hours, with Walmart leading the charge. Between 8:00 and 10:00 AM, every Walmart provides sensory friendly hours for shoppers and staff, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Overseas, brands like Woolworths, Coles, and Carrefour have implemented inclusive policies and sensory-friendly hours across multiple countries. Sephora has introduced store quiet hours with lower music and screen displays during specific hours following a successful store pilot across eight markets.
By supporting a more inclusive environment for the shopper and employee, smart retailers generate a better return on brand experience (ROX). Retailers with elevated customer experiences (CX) generate nearly 6 times as much revenue compared to brands with a lackluster CX. Sensory-friendly hours and inclusive design can add another feather to your brand’s cap, without breaking the bank.
Sonic Branding
We’ve branded scent, taste, aesthetics, and touch—but sonic branding is a widely untapped asset that can take retail experiences to another level. It’s quietly growing and slated to be a $5.16B industry by 2033. In the retail space, brands can be hyper-specific about sound and how it can amplify certain details of the customer journey. It’s not about loudness or music in general; it’s about intentionality. Brands like Build-a-Bear have already folded sonic branding into their experience. “Hear Me” is how shoppers can give their furry friend its own voice. This kind of intentionality and personalization ties directly back to the brand ethos and ROX that Build-a-Bear is dedicated to.
Some brands are known for sonic branding like McDonald’s, Intel, Microsoft, Netflix, and Apple. But taking it to a whole new level, the crunchy sound of KFC fried chicken as “Kentucky Fried Chicken Rain” is a white noise sleep track. Other brands use ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) soundscapes, including IKEA, Dove, Claire’s, and Vans. For the brands that translate sonic branding into the customer journey as a natural, recognizable marketing strategy, great customer experiences can become unforgettable.
Designing Soundscapes
Savvy design can do a lot of the hard work for a retailer by making sound an asset rather than a problem. There are elements often out of a brand’s control, like a loud mall with high foot traffic, or a location connected to a busy street. In some instances, the shopper enters a store for a moment of release from a noisy environment, only to find that it’s louder and more distracting inside. When a shopper walks into a specialty retail store, their attention should be on the product, not the relentless soundtrack hitting their ears at 83dB. When a store lacks auditory flexibility, whether it be hard surfaces, reflective walls, cavernous acoustics, loud music or loud associates, it genuinely inhibits the human brain from processing and enjoying the experience.
Great design addresses this issue by balancing materiality, product displays, and leveraging environmental design elements to create better sensorial zones in the customer journey. When it’s done right, guests can participate and engage in the in-store experience at a higher level. The more immersed a guest is in the brand the store typically builds a larger basket size.
There are four key consequences to inconsiderate auditory environments:
- Mood: Excessive noise negatively impacts mood, increases stress, anxiety, and irritability.
- Engagement: Inadequate auditory experiences inhibit the associate and the shopper from engaging efficiently with one another, and it gets worse throughout the course of a shift.
- Productivity: Disruptive noise interferes with consumer and staff focus, memory, and decision-making, which hurts in-store conversion over time.
- Health: Constant exposure to unhealthy sonic environments directly leads to higher cortisol, hearing damage, and a general increase in cardiovascular risks.
So, Now What?
The research on the negative results of exposure to high levels of sound is clear, and the consequences are proven. Fortunately, the steps to remediate aren’t a major capital investment. First, walk your stores like a shopper and listen intently for cues. Then walk again, listening as a sales associate. If the experience is overwhelming, consider sensory-friendly hours. Analyze how design and sound can improve your store experience and make for a more inclusive environment overall.
Next, the real exciting opportunity. Brands that intentionally weave a healthy auditory strategy into their store experience will trailblaze an entirely new way to enjoy retail. Many brands have never asked themselves about the role sound plays in their store, its impacts, and how it affects store performance. Early adopters are leveraging sound to set themselves apart and transform the in-store environment. In an age where brands fight over inches of differentiation, retail’s auditory experience is a category ripe for innovation. Once you understand the impact of noise in retail, you can’t un-hear it. The brands that innovate and incorporate sound into their retail experience the right way will be the first to see the lift from their shoppers. And their employees will benefit from a healthier workplace environment. Your most important stakeholders will become your biggest advocates.
