A recent article by Linda Carroll, an MSNBC contributor, suggests that noise can lead to improved sales especially of innovative new products, provided that it is not too loud. She cites several experiments with college students. Once they were distracted by noise up to about 70dB, they tended to think more creatively and purchased creative products. This may not only be limited to innovative products. So how much noise is too much noise and what are we exposing our staf
f, our customers and especially our kids to.
The deafening noise outside and inside some shops is not only annoying but potentially harmful. How often have you been walking through a shopping centre and had the misfortune of having your ears blasted by a spruiker – the ultimate switch off to most shoppers.
However there are rules in place, for example, issued by the EPA in Victoria.
Where amplified speech or music from shops (spruiking) is to be controlled, the following conditions may be specified. Each loudspeaker or loudspeaker system to be placed in such a position that, while it is in use, it remains:
• Located entirely inside the shop
• Situated not less than three metres from any public entrance to the shop
• Directed in such a manner that the device does not point towards any wall which contains an external window or entrance to the shop unless the wall is more than 15 metres from the device itself
• Operating at a level that does not exceed 65 dB(LAeq) two metres from the facade.
Now 65dB is not very loud. It is only slightly above a normal conversation and less than a vacuum cleaner so I suspect that your average spruiker is operating outside the law.
A study in Canada reveals that 13 per cent of school age children have noise induced hearing loss. I am not suggesting that retail is to blame but I was surprised to learn that it is not only the decibel level but the duration of the noise that does the damage.
Generally the norm seems to be that you should not be exposed to more than 80dB or 85dB for more than 8 hours but if the noise level increases to say 88dB, the time is halved to four hours. Crank it up another 3dB and the time is halved again to two hours.
Research, once more in Canada, reveals that noise levels from loudspeakers outside shops regularly exceed 85dB.
I cannot find any statistics on noise within shops, especially boutiques for generation Y & Z, but I suspect that there are many stores out there pumping out over 85dB. If this is the case, some employers may have some heavy staff compo claims in years to come.
Stuart Bennie is a retail consultant at Impact Retailing. Email Stuart
