New research finds 38% of Kiwis walk out over bad music
A bad soundtrack is actively driving customers out the door of New Zealand businesses, according to a new study released by OneMusic NZ.
The Sound Decisions: Music’s Impact on Consumer Behaviour report, conducted in partnership with Inside Retail, surveyed 1,250 consumers across the retail, hospitality and service sectors. The data highlights an often-overlooked driver of lost sales for local business operators, revealing that 38% of New Zealanders have walked out of a store or venue specifically because of the music playing. More concerning for long-term customer retention, 18% of local consumers admit they have stopped visiting a venue entirely due to a poor acoustic environment.
On the other hand, getting the soundscape right delivers a major ‘dwell time dividend’. The research shows that 48% of Kiwi shoppers have stayed longer in a store or venue because the music felt right, and 40% state that a well-matched soundtrack directly influenced how much money they spent.
“For most business owners, the playlist is often treated as an afterthought or left to staff preference rather than treated as a strategic asset,” says OneMusic NZ Director Greer Davies. “But this data proves music is a powerful commercial tool that directly dictates whether customers stay, spend and return – or walk out and never come back.”
The report also flags a potential commercial risk for businesses attempting to cut costs by using generic, royalty-free stock tracks. Younger demographics have a highly sophisticated radar for audio quality, with 70% of Kiwi Gen Z consumers stating they can instantly detect ‘elevator music’. For these younger audiences, generic background loops can immediately signal that a brand is cheap, budget or inauthentic.
When it comes to making a strong first impression, volume control – not genre – is the ultimate decider for locals. New Zealanders are incredibly sensitive to noise levels, with 42% identifying volume as the very first thing they notice when walking into a business. Furthermore, 18.2% of all negative consumer feedback explicitly cited loud volume as the primary cause of a poor experience.
Rather than high-tempo, club-style playlists, the survey shows that New Zealand consumers heavily prioritise comfort. Forty percent of Kiwis state they want a venue’s music to create a welcoming atmosphere, followed by a calm ambience at 24%.
The full Sound Decisions report from OneMusic NZ details the newly released research and outlines consumers’ genre expectations across fine dining, youth fashion, supermarkets and wellness sectors, offering business owners an evidence-based framework and advice on how to turn their background noise into a vital commercial tool.
New Zealand businesses are invited to take a new Sound Score Quiz at onemusicnz.com/sound-score to anonymously check if their playlist is costing them customers and to read the full report for free.
Photo: Greer Davies / OneMusicNZ
