Diners spend more with classical background music

Recently published research concludes that classical music encourages diners to spend more money by helping them feel more affluent.

The research was conducted by the University of Leicester across three weeks and monitored the effects of classical and pop music and background silence on consumers’ spending behaviour.

The researchers found that when classical background music was played, the average spend per head rose to more than £24 but to £22 when pop music was played and only £21.70 per head when no background music was played at all.

In the same study, patrons spent over £1 each on coffee when classical music was played, compared to only 80p when pop music was played and just 54p when no background music was present.

Dr Adrian North (who held the post of senior lecturer in psychology at the university when the study took place) claimed: "When you hear a piece of music it activates all types of knowledge. If you hear classical music, it has got all sorts of connotations of sophistication, affluence and wealth and it makes you feel a bit posh. In a restaurant, this has the effect of making you spend a bit more money. Where people were really spending the money was on the luxury items, such as starters, desserts and coffees."

James Davis, owner of Softleys restaurant where the study was conducted, said: "The sort of music you play does affect people's mood. It is quite amazing how much it sets and creates an atmosphere in the restaurant. Sometimes you play what you personally like rather than what the clients like, so I think this research will definitely affect what we play in the future."