Tech & Biz

Supermarket drives away trouble with classical music!

by liamssoft | July 25, 2008 at 05:31 am

431 views | 0 Recommendations | 9 comments

The soothing tones of classical music have a rather different effect on the hooded younger generation. I must admit I am a classical music fan, but there is just one composer that leaves me cold...Richard Wagner

A Northamptonshire (UK) supermarket says Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky are helping it to stop troublemakers hanging around outside its store.

Staff at Higham Ferrers Co-op broadcast taped classical music on speakers outside the shop to deter groups of people they think might cause trouble.

The top tracks the Co-op believes are guaranteed to move on troublemakers are The Preludes of Liszt, pieces from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Deux Morceaux and Sleeping Beauty, numbers from Vivaldi's Concerto No. 8 and The Four Seasons, Mozart Sym No.40, Rossini - Figaro, Bellini's "Casta diva" from Norma and Bach's Violin Concerto in E major

The Co-op's 2,300 food stores enjoyed a 4.7 per cent like-for-like sales rise during the first half of the year.

2 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Gibbo

at 14:18 on July 25th, 2008

I think classical music would stop most people from hanging around?

liamssoft

at 13:27 on July 28th, 2008

True

matte

at 14:39 on July 25th, 2008

what effect of sales? If you are going to be a budding citizen journo, make a phone call and get the answers.

liamssoft

at 13:28 on July 28th, 2008

Good request, thanks. See above.

tiha zaman

at 22:10 on July 25th, 2008

I've seen a documentary on this and instead of using classical music, they put on a kind of high pitch sound that only teens can hear, it supposedly sound like a mosquito drone and subsequently due to its high-annoyance level acts as a teen-repellant. But i guess classical music is much better.

liamssoft

at 13:31 on July 28th, 2008

Yes they work but it causes distress to the individuals, classical music is less harmful and has the same effect, it stops youths congregating outside the stores.

mchawk

at 13:36 on July 28th, 2008

Classical music has been played on selected stations in the Tyneside Metro system of a few years now. It's both cleared out the yobs and increased box-office at classical concerts in the region. Everyone's a winner!