Loud music used to lure teen buyers
Shops find that turning up the volume is a good marketing ploy
writes Siobhán Maguire
STORES in the capital are pumping up the volume to attract young shoppers.
A Sunday Times noise survey found that fashion and entertainment shops in Dublin are blasting out music at more than 85 decibels.
The practice is most rife in shops aimed at 11-to 24-yearolds and in some cases exceeds levels recorded in a probe by The Sunday Times in 2006.
The loudest volume recorded in the 23 stores surveyed was in Diesel, an Italian jeans and casual-clothing manufacturer, in the Jervis Centre off Henry Street, with a reading of 85.1 decibels. In second place was a Champion Sports outlet on Grafton Street, with 83.3 decibels.
Extrovert, a clothing store for young people, located on Henry Street, Dublin's busiest shopping thoroughfare, had the highest average reading at 69.2, although at its loudest it reached 80.2 decibels.
The analysis, compiled for The Sunday Times by Enda Murphy, a lecturer in planning at University College Dublin (UCD), and Eoin King, a researcher in acoustics at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), was undertaken on a Saturday afternoon last month over a four-hour period.
Using a span sound level meter, the scientists took fiveminute readings in each of the 23 stores, recording the maximum sound level reached and the overall average, drawn from data logged every second during each fiveminute period.
"We must be clear that none of these stores are in breach of noise regulations. For there to be health implications, exposure over 80 decibels is time-dependent, that is, it must be over a longer period, rather than reaching 90 decibels for 15 minutes," said Murphy. "What we can conclude, however, is that shops targeting a younger demographic have the highest noise level while those stores for older shoppers are quieter. This might suggest music is tailored to a target market."
In 2006, a noise survey recorded levels of almost 75 decibels. Diesel registered at 73 decibels, less than its 85.1 maximum sound level last month. The River Island store in the basement of Arnotts department store on Henry Street measured 72.6 decibels in 2006. It's flagship store on Henry Street had 73.7 decibels, and had the third-highest average at 66.7 decibels.
The quieter shops in last month's survey included Marks & Spencer's clothing shop on Grafton Street, with an average of 55.6 decibels; Next (kids) in the Jervis Centre, at 55.0 decibels, and Next (adult) on Grafton Street, at 53.5 decibels.
Kenneth McKenzie, a research associate at the school of psychology at TCD, said: "The tactic of using music in shops dates back to the late 1970s when it was introduced in America and the UK. It was a way to alleviate staff boredom and make the customer feel as if they are in a shopping experience. It's been shown that by feeling part of something, the shopper will dwell more and spend more. The kind of music played signals what the shop is about." Sharon Moore, the manager at Extrovert, said music was a big part of the shop's brand, with customers dropping in to listen to the music as they browse for clothes.
"Young shoppers, from 11 up to 20, are our biggest market and they love the music that we play. It's mostly dance music but you need it on because there is so much going on in Henry Street, from kids screaming to buskers and neighbouring shops with their own music," said Moore.
Dane Hancox, the manager at Champion Sports on Grafton Street, said the store was "loud and proud" but had recently installed a sound system to ensure some parts of the store were quieter. "We never get complaints about the noise," he said.
James McDonnell, a supervisor at New Look, said: "The volume of music can depend on the time of the day or week. On a Saturday afternoon, the music is loud because the shop is busy. The same goes for Thursday evenings when the students come in. But there is no official training that music volumes be at a certain level."