Aisle bop if I want to: the guilty pleasure of supermarket radio

There are 12 playlists programmed into iTunes at the Friendly Grocer supermarket in the New South Wales town of Robertson, all on a PC in the office upstairs. Artists such as Bobby Darin, Abba, Boney M, Barbra Streisand, Bing Crosby and Dolly Parton are on heavy rotation.

Full disclosure: I know these playlists backwards because my parents, Neil and Heather Tait, have run this shop since 1989 – and the only thing that’s changed about the playlist is the technology it’s played on.

The Friendly Grocer represents one end of the spectrum in supermarket music in Australia, one where customer responses range from personal requests to “What is this bloody awful music?!”

Related: From social distancing bracelets to vaccine priority: how NSW supermarkets are tackling Covid

When it comes to playing sounds that will soothe their customers, or inspire them to spend more, the Friendly Grocer’s approach is hardly typical among Australian supermarkets. Some larger outfits also still deploy whatever is on the manager’s Spotify playlist. Others are carefully curated by third-party contractors. And then there’s Coles.

At Coles, you are doing your shopping to an actual radio station dreamed up by a marketing department in 2014. And, if you find yourself bopping along to the hits in the aisles, you are not alone.

Umandeep, a 40-year-old from Melbourne who preferred not to have her full name published, says: “Since lockdown I look forward to shopping on a Sunday night, by myself, walking down every aisle humming or singing along to Coles Radio in my head. Definition of ‘me’ time in our Covid world, right now. Last week they played Frente’s Accidentally Kelly Street and I got really excited.”

“That music is pitched at me,” says Pip, 50, from Canberra. “I sing along. It’s the highlight of my droll housewife life. Sad but true.”

Anna Chang, 36, from Canberra, says: “You know you’re getting old when you catch yourself whipping out the Shazam [app] at Coles.”

With 120,000 employees and about 21 million customers a week, Coles quickly realised the singalongs and humming did not need to end at the checkout. Coles Radio is streamed on DAB+, making it the biggest digital radio station in the country, consistently beating Double J and Smooth in most markets. It has inspired a parody Twitter account and loving op eds from gen Y writers, and has even won two Acra awards.

The grocery behemoth isn’t the only business to realise the power of in-house radio. Chemist Warehouse went into partnership with the Australian Radio Network three years ago to create CW Remix – a fully staffed DAB+ channel that plays music, news and information through the night, even when the store is closed.

Across the supermarket spectrum, the way stores do their music differs widely. The 1,300+ IGA stores across the country each manage their own music – so it’s more than possible you will walk into the Romeo’s IGA in the inner west of Sydney and hear Nick Cave.

Mid-sized chains were reluctant to talk about their music played, some on the grounds that licencing agreements with Apra are too complicated to discuss. Woolworths did not respond to specific questions, saying only it had a “bespoke playlist” for its instore radio.

So love it or hate it, Coles Radio is the market leader.

Nor is it just for the customers: its founding mission was about creating a soundtrack both staff and customers would enjoy. Staff are encouraged to be part of the station: competitions are held around significant days in the calendar (on Father’s Day – what songs remind you of your dad?) and their feedback and playlist suggestions are welcomed.

Elise (not her real name) is a 43-year-old Coles worker from Victoria. She says she mostly enjoys the soundtrack to her work day, and the songs played can be a way to bond with colleagues. Still, “the repetitiveness can be annoying”.

“I work two days in a row, same time both days and I’m sure I hear songs played at similar times both days. Christmas is the only time I get really annoyed. The carols can get very repetitive.”

The playlist is not the responsibility of a music-loving manager sitting in an office out the back of the storeroom. The station is outsourced to Nova Entertainment, a slick radio, DAB+ and podcasting company owned by Lachlan Murdoch.

“The music is hand-picked and curated daily, ensuring a good blend of eras and genres and energy levels that shift throughout the day based on consumer behaviour,” says Sarah Fletcher, who is in charge of syndication operations at Nova.

“Social and cultural events also influence the playlist, including Naidoc Week, Valentine’s Day and footy finals.”

The music selected is deliberately inoffensive and includes a diverse playlist of international and Australian artists, with a special focus on new First Nations bands.

“The playlist is pretty wide, from Little River Band and Elvis Presley, through to INXS and Bananarama, right up to the very latest from Guy Sebastian or Dua Lipa,” Fletcher says. “Most genres are supported if they create a happy feel. Pop songs do most of the heavy lifting, but we also play country artists like Amber Lawrence and Keith Urban, and indie artists like Gretta Ray and The Jungle Giants and a sprinkle of K-Pop in there too. We average around 2,500 songs in rotation at any time.”

It might feel as though the station is tailoring its playlist to your supermarket - was that Yothu Yindi in Darwin? Missy Higgins in St Kilda? They’re not. The station plays the same music in all its stores from the top of the country to the bottom and all that’s in between. The only thing that changes store to store is the messaging. Right now, stores in NSW and Victoria have Covid messaging playing every 15 minutes.

Has research shown that bopping to Mel and Kim in the bakery section leads to more donuts being bought?

Lisa Ronson, the chief marketing officer at Coles, would not be drawn: “It’s more about Nova having a knowledge of what’s trending, what people are listening to and what’s new.”

Jo, from Darwin, has no doubt about Coles Radio’s power over her wallet.

“It made me dance in the aisle the other day, and I bought more than I intended because it put me in a great mood. Damn you Coles Radio!”