Styles of background music and consumption in a bar: An empirical evaluation

The effects of background music have been widely studied in the literature but few studies have tested effects of music in commercial settings. An experiment was carried out in a bar to test influence of three different styles of music on patrons. According to a random assignment, patrons were exposed to Top 40 music, which was usually played in the bar, cartoon music or drinking songs. Results showed that drinking songs appeared to increase the length of time customers stayed in the bar and the average amount spent. A congruency hypothesis is used to explain these findings.