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 don’t claim this to be a scientific study, obviously we didn’t / couldn’t guarantee identical conditions etc, but we looked into this when I worked in retail years ago.

I worked in fashion clothing shop. Around Christmas we stocked ‘stocking filler’ type gifts (little nail varnish sets, mugs, hot water bottles, fluffy socks etc). For 3 weekends in a row we alternated one hour of Christmas music, with one hour of regular music. We then swapped the times the next week (so if the first Saturday we played regular music 9-10, we played Christmas music 9-10 the next). In pretty much all of the Christmas music hours, we sold more ‘gifts’ than during the regular music hours. It didn’t translate to all sales, it didn’t seem to have an impact on jeans or coats or whatever. But we definitely sold more of the obvious gift type stuff when Mariah was playing as oppose to the Artic Monkeys. A very unprofessional experiment, obviously. But it was interesting.

@DontCallMeKidDontCallMeBaby that is very interesting! Thanks for that info.

I love Christmas music! When I drive dhs car I can put magic Christmas on (is that the station? Can’t really remember!) but my car doesn’t have it 😭
I only really visit the shops once for Christmas shopping and the rest I do online so I’m not too bombarded with it.
I loved it when I worked in shops as a teen too.

This. Or even some actual carols on the shop playlists. I can't stand hearing the old Slade/wizard/ Mariah carey stuff but would be happy to hear some actual Christmas carols played in store.

The problem is there's only about 30
Songs on repeat

I don't go to the shops apart from Lidl during all of December. I struggle with loud music in shops at the best of times, but Christmas music is another layer of agony 😂

Love carols. Try to visit at least one carol service per year - not done so since covid and services were unsuited for my shifts. No way I could change my hours for a carol service!

I love Christmas music in shops . The older the songs the better.
I would hate to go shopping and be faced with Rock music. I wouldn't stay in that shop very long!

I love Christmas so much 😄😄 and christmas music in the shops is a part of it - sorry op, I think yabu 🤭🤭

More important things to worry about.

Wish they'd at least play classical music or advent carols. It's soothing and atmospheric, unlike all the canned cheese which is jarring. Advent's meant to be a time of quiet preparation, reflection and anticipation for the coming feast.

Oh god yes this is how it feels for me. It gets into my head and is exhausting.

The issue I have with Christmas being extended is that the six weeks before Christmas are always the busiest time at work for me, and for a lot of people, so parties happening earlier and earlier (a friend had a work Christmas party last week FFS!) just makes it all a bit overwhelming and stressful. Difficult to get into party mode when there's a shit ton of extra work to do.

I like to get my work out of the way and then properly relax, eat, drink, go to parties, see friends etc for a good two weeks.

They put all the Christmas specials on TV before Christmas now, which is mad. They used to be in the week between Christmas and New Year, when a lot of people are off school and work. Not that it matters much, since they're shite, but it feels a bit like it's all over by Boxing Day now. Well, not in our house anyway! I'll be in front of the telly with a cheese board and a beer, watching old films until the New Year.

If it's quiet it's ok but in general music in shops is so loud it makes me flee.

The John Lewis style drippy cover tunes are teeth grindingly nauseating.

If it was only played for a couple of weeks before Christmas I wouldn't mind, but I wouldn't be able to work in retail listening to the same Christmas songs for an extended period. Listening to music I don't like really irritates me. I can't help it.

Yes things are getting earlier. There are churches doing Xmas tree festivals this coming weekend. In previous years where the calendar is in the same format as this year- Dec 1st on Sunday, churches started the Xmas tree festivals that weekend.

For those who don’t know about Xmas tree festivals, the churches have on average of 40 trees (based on the churches around here) decorated by individuals, families and local groups. Usually have a theme, sometimes an event earlier that year is an idea. Fee is £3-5 per person and some include a hot drink and mince pie. Proceeds go to the church and other local charities.

When my previous work allowed Christmas parties- we had one year in January on my birthday. As it was £12 cheaper! Colleagues can put not put notices up anymore and have parties on the quiet, not to mention to management. No idea why!

I would like it in December if it wasn't completely ruined for me by the shops playing it from the 1st of November. It's manipulative and annoying. I'm old enough to remember a time when people would have been appalled at Christmas being brought into November. It's absurd.

People round my way already have Christmas trees and outside decorations up. I shall have to include November in my supermarket boycott.

I’m thinking that this Christmas creep (term of stuff getting in the shops earlier and earlier) is making the day itself a let down

I am with you op. Ex retail but not for a long time. I hate it when it is too loud so you can’t even hear the cashier or when talking to anyone.

Should be banned. Theres about 20 songs played on a loop. Must drive staff mad.

Oh I love it, I love the Christmas build up immensely

I don't mind Christmas music, I don't play it at home unless it's Christmas Day but cannot bear hearing it anywhere before December

I heard that bloody One More Sleep today - it's about 36 more sleeps actually Leona, calm yourself

Yeah and the songs usually have bugger all to do with Christmas!

I’m glad to hear some of those who work in retail don’t mind it, or even enjoy it, because I often wonder how the hell people don’t feel like ripping the sound system out their workplaces.

I love carols sung beautifully or by little kids but the songs in shops I loathe. Now I’m older I listen to the radio through my hearing aids and try drown it out that way. If I can’t drown it out, I turn them off