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Music, signage and atmosphere influence how long customers stay, how they feel, and how they perceive a brand.
In coffee shop environments, these elements are especially important. They help create a welcoming atmosphere, influence dwell time, and enhance the experience.
Starbucks has built one of the world’s most recognisable coffee retail brands, with a strong focus on atmosphere, familiarity and customer experience. Our observations and suggestions could support and further enhance that positioning across a growing UK estate.
Music was present throughout the venue, delivered through ceiling-mounted speakers integrated into the lighting system. Sound quality was generally strong, with a varied soundtrack.
In quieter seating areas, the soundtrack contributed well to the calm and welcoming atmosphere Starbucks is known for. However, in busier areas of the store - particularly near coffee grinders and queues - the music became difficult to hear, creating inconsistency across the customer experience.
There also appeared to be some variation between locations. While this particular visit felt thoughtfully curated overall, previous experiences suggested some stores may have more locally controlled or inconsistent playlist choices.
Digital signage was used effectively in parts of the store, particularly behind the till area where screens showcased menus, promotions, sustainability messaging and discounts.
The screens helped modernise the ordering experience while supporting operational flexibility for promotions and menu updates.
However, experiences appeared to vary between locations. In some stores, menus and promotional content relied more heavily on printed boards and static displays, creating a less connected and contemporary feel.
Develop a more centrally managed approach to playlists and scheduling, ensuring each location delivers a recognisable Starbucks atmosphere while still allowing flexibility for local environments and dayparts.
Adjust volume and soundtrack intensity based on seating areas, queue zones and quieter workspaces to create a more balanced and comfortable customer experience throughout the venue.
Coordinate digital promotions, seasonal launches and loyalty messaging with soundtrack updates to create a more cohesive and immersive in-store experience.
Based on your brand, audience and environment, here’s an example of how your music could feel with Startle.
This playlist has been designed to reflect Starbucks’ calm, contemporary and comfort-led atmosphere - blending soulful indie, warm alternative and laid-back modern tracks to create an environment that feels welcoming, premium and easy to spend time in.
The intention is to:
Choose from our library of over 100 professionally crafted playlists spanning genres, moods and sectors, or opt for curated soundtracks designed just for your brand.
We offer simple, scalable digital signage to promote seasonal ranges, upsells and brand storytelling - helping keep content fresh and visually engaging for regular customers.
With Startle Studio, you’ll have full visibility and control of all your coffee shops’ music and signage schedules from a central platform, ensuring consistency across every location.
We’ve worked with hospitality brands to create more thoughtful, atmosphere-led customer experiences that encourage dwell time and strengthen brand identity.
We partnered with BEAR Coffee to help develop a soundtrack that reflected their warm, community-focused brand while supporting the evolving atmosphere across their cafés.
As BEAR expanded their estate, they wanted music that felt distinctive, human and consistent with the personality of their spaces - helping bridge the gap between daytime coffee culture and more social evening environments.
This approach included:
Finding our brand sound has been an exciting journey, and the support from the Startle team has been incredibly valuable. They nailed it from the start, and we’ve been happily listening to these playlists ever since.
Marketing Manager
Book your discovery call to explore how music and signage could enhance experience, consistency and engagement across your estate.
On this call we’ll:
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