Retailers that play Xmas music even though more customers hate it

[Auburngal]

Christmas music is supposed to make people's moods positive, spend more time in the shops, spend more.

In fact, customers are getting annoyed with it, feel sorry for the workers, spend little time as possible (ie shop online) and force cheer (MH issues, worried about health of loved ones)

I did 18 Christmases in retail. I hated the Xmas music being played. The thing is we try to zone it out but when customers said something on the lines of "does this music annoy you", "what a dreary song" (such as Mud's Lonely This Christmas). Then we bloody heard it! Then because more of us worked outside trade hours, as had more delivery etc to do, the music was still being piped through the tannoy. As done centrally. We put something heavy on the call button on the tannoy to stop it. One day, a manager said we could put on our own music. We put a rock channel on a colleague's streaming app and that was good.

At least we have the songs sung by the actual artists. Some retailers play cover versions by unknown artists they are worse.

I think the reason many people hate Christmas music is no other time of the year, so few songs are played to death. Also not many new decent Xmas songs(thank you Simon Cowell) . If you buy a Christmas music album today and compare with an album released 25-30 years ago in a charity shop. The only song which is different is on the CS one it will have a paedo's Xmas song (clue GG) and the new one will have such as Destiny's Child's one.

Those who love Xmas music, I tell you now, work in a place that plays Xmas music all the time and you will hate it.

I hate it. And I especially hate it in November. I would like it very much, say, from December 20th on, but really no wonder so many people are sick of it after weeks and weeks of it and I feel very sorry for retail staff who have to endure it.

I live it but it's m in a store for a limited time. My son works retail and gets sick of it, especially if limited playlist!

I agree with you OP and think it is counter-productive. I wonder if it is something that retailers fear they would lose sales if they stopped doing so, resulting in a form of herd mentality. See also stupid Christmas adverts or the timing of Sunday opening.

What needs explaining?

Are Christians not allowed to listen to Mariah Carey during October?

I work retail and I love it for the first three days. After that we play the 'guess which song will be next' or 'how long until 'Driving Home for Christmas' comes on again?' We haven't started playing Christmas music yet (started VERY early last year and I think people complained), but I know it's coming. Any day now...

A large department store with a mezzanine could get a musician in for a couple of hours. Or a choir singing carols. Now that would make me go to a shop and hang around a long time. Yet they never do.

I worked in retail for six years and remember asking for the Christmas playlist at this time of year and being disappointed when the manager said "not until Dec 1st"
I love it and even put Heart Christmas on in the car yesterday for my nine year old.

Christians aren’t allowed to listen to Christmas music? That’s a new one to me!

I loathe it, but then I loathe any sort of canned music. It's one of the best reasons for shopping online.

its pot kettle black. One of the very few retailers (excluding independent shops) closes on Sunday and yet the earliest to play music!

Honestly, I think you are being unreasonable to still be posting about how much you hated working in retail. Thread upon thread while you were there. You’ve escaped! That’s got to be great news for you. Don’t let yourself be dragged back up unhappy memories!

I love Christmas music, it makes this time of year a little bit different. Whenever I've worked in retail we would have the same couple of CDs on rotation the rest of the year anyway, so it actually made a change getting the Christmas songs out.

Not quite sure why the Entertainer's Christian owners shouldn't be preparing for Christmas though? Now that you mention it actually, since they don't open on Sundays I imagine they're keen to get shoppers in early so they don't miss out on sales. If you're shopping on the last Sunday before Christmas, you wouldn't faff about waiting til Monday to give them your custom, you'd just go elsewhere.

I worked in retail for a few years when I was younger and I never minded the Christmas music, although it wasn't too loud where I worked.

I have my own Christmas playlist now and I haven't had it on this year yet - it does feel a bit soon, but there's never a bad time for Christmas Wrapping and Christmas In Hollis 😀

How is it 'pot, kettle, black' and what does his religion have to do with it?

You're not making sense at all 😳

You seem to be accusing him of being unchristian-like because he's playing Slade during October in the shops.

Is that right?

https://www.inc.com/melody-wilding/neuroscience-says-holiday-music-is-mentally-draining.html

Zoning out music made me extremely tired. The few days before Christmas is very similar to Easter Saturday in terms of busyness. Yet don’t feel as drained as no music

Yes

Oh God yeah, just realised 🤦‍♀️

No-one is that ignorant about religion.

Not in this day and age.

I think you should take the PP's advice and get over the retail stuff.

Me too!

What's to explain? Christmas is a Christian festival. Why wouldn't he?

Also how do you know "more people hate it"? People who hate it may be the ones who moan and make themselves heard but I can't see how you know more hate it? Even the survey here shows more don't.

Your argument makes no sense whatsoever just like your claim that more people hate it than like it.

I'm a Christian and I listen to Christmas music. One has nothing to do with the other.
I love Christmas music and I worked in retail for 7 years. Christmas playlist in Asda was good, plenty of decent songs. Tesco had 8 songs played on a loop, that was annoying but I still love Christmas music though.

It didn't really bother me when I worked in retail. I don't love Christmas music but it wasn't any worse than the music they played for the rest of the year.

Along with decorations and Christmas themed displays, whether customers actually like it or not, it does make them buy more. The more 'Christmassy' a shop feels, the more Christmas stuff people buy. That's why retailers tend to play Christmas music. There are lots of other things about retail that are good for profits but annoying for the staff - that's capitalism for you.

I was in B&M today and Christmas music blasting out, decorations everywhere and it would be ok if it was December but it feels just too early plus I’ll be bored to death of it all by the 24th December. I may veer towards online shopping tbh.

I don’t mind Christmas songs but I wish it wouldn’t start until closer to December. However, the reason it starts early is because people will buy early to spread costs, especially for children’s presents which is why the Entertainer will be playing music now. It’s not unchristian to play Christmas songs early.

There is a lot of variety now in Christmas songs, I actually think most artists try to do a Christmas song. The reason the old ones come back out again and again is shared nostalgia, there’s something’s about hearing Slade and it reminding you of your childhood christmases. I think the reason everyone is trying to do a Christmas song is because it will be played for years to come, long after the artist has stopped being relevant and they can still generate royalties from it.

I think the worst thing shops do to retail workers and customers is take the Heart playlist and re-record sad, insipid versions that they play on repeat. All year long. Christmas songs are almost a welcome relief.