Xmas music in shops

[boredlass1]

The original psychological effects of the reasons behind playing Xmas music in shops - making people feel jolly, spending more time and money because they are feeling jolly have long gone.

Now it makes both customers and staff miserable. Customers sympathise with staff having to put up with the dirge of 30-40 songs on a loop. Then customers spend less time in shops and spend more online or via click n collect.

So why do retailers still play Christmas music when it’s bad for MH (as well as it’s awful such as Mud’s dreary one)

I worked at a supermarket and the music was playing when store was closed! Pulled out the tannoy mike as when that was used - it cut off the music.

I cannot listen to Christmas music now. Have to mute/skip tv esp adverts. Last year I rang a call centre and the hold music was Xmas! I couldn’t remember which company it was for.

Yet don’t have this issue with carols I love them

I LOVE it! 🎄🎅🎶

Work for a retailer for a few Christmases and you will change your mind.

Friends that loved Christmas music then worked in retail over Christmas and now can’t stand the music

Whack on Mariah I say

Oh, I would never work in retail - fools’ game.
But I’m happy that Christmas music is played, it does make me feel jolly, and I probably do spend more as a result!

I hate Christmas music in general, if I never hear Noddy Holder screeching 'It's Christmas ' again it'll be too soon. I've walked out of shops when I've heard it in the past.

I hear you OP - still traumatised from a Christmas working in the children's department in Debenhams when I was a student in about 1995.

Most Christmas music is just shite and it's the same-ness of it all. Some of the stuff which is played each year is 50 years old (fecking Slade and fecking Wizard) or at least 40 years old (Wham, Shaking Stevens). Even the godawful Mariah Carey thing is 30 years old. It starts earlier and earlier, they were playing Christmas music in Asda last week and Wham's "last christmas" was on Heart radio in the car yesterday.

So for me, it's podcasts from now until 26th december in the car, and Aldi/Lidl for shopping.

Many "fools" have no option as they need to work to pay the bills. Everyone I know pretty much had a retail job at some point.

YABU. I used to work in retail many years ago, and it didn't put me off the music.

When I worked in retail I would have quite happily smashed the cd player to pieces, set it on fire and thrown it in the canal.

That being said, I do think it is ridiculous to have it on too early in the year. For some reason, though, I have been more excited for and more enthusiastic about Christmas than in previous years. I'm normally a bit of a naysayer, but this year I feel the need for a bit of sparkle and sugar.

It's only fine in December. Should be banned at all other times of the year.

I was in a shop yesterday (think it was M&S) and they were playing Christmas music but it was some Michael Buble type jazzy stuff instead of the 70s/80s shite. Made a nice change.

We all make our choices.

Does Christmas music actually make people spend more? It definitely doesn’t here. Wizard & Wham don’t make my bank balance any bigger.
I don’t mind it really, it’s just part of Christmas. I find some songs make me very nostalgic and sad.

Grrr… came here to agree with you! Still work in retail at 59, as does my friend at 72 - look at us couple of “fools” 🙄

You are very out-of-touch and insensitive.

Or just plain sneery and goady.

I work one afternoon per week in charity retail and don't even get paid for it!

When I worked in the big retailer whose name is a four-letter word beginning with “N”, they started Christmas music very early but by gradually slipping them in on the playlist and ramping up to 100% by Christmas. This was worse! Funny though, when you’re serving a customer early November and you hear Noddy Holder yell “it’s Christmas!”. Oh how we laughed.

Insensitive?!? What are you talking about?!
Are we now not allowed to say that there are certain sectors we wouldn’t work in for fear of offending those who do?!
Get a grip, fgs.

You sound like one of those customers that we take the piss out of in the canteen when we are on break.

I'm really amazed that so far, I have not heard a single Christmas song played either in the supermarket or other shops or on the radio once November 1st arrives that's when it usually starts happening, you can't escape it.

I've heard a couple of TV adverts with them but it's been a pleasure to not have to listen to the "usual suspects" played on a continuous loop in shops.

Hopefully, it will last a few weeks longer.

A peculiar post, but I’ll go with it. And who might ’they’ be?

Thanks for the perfect come-back so I don’t have to… knew someone would 😂

I wouldn't mind too much if it didn't start until nearer to Christmas. It's been on since 1st November in many shops. That's 2 months of Xmas music, 1/6th of the year!! No one needs Xmas to be this long.

When I worked in retail by Christmas I was a full on Grinch. The Christmas music is awful and starts too early. Seeing people buying so much shit just made me feel a bit sick.