Retail workers shop most hated Christmas songs

British retail workers are being driven to distraction by the songs that provide the soundtrack to their working lives, according to new research by leading retail recruitment website Retailchoice.com. Three quarters of shop staff admit to being irritated by in-store music.

Christmas is the most testing time for the ears of the nation’s retail workers. ‘Jingle Bells’ tops the list of the most hated seasonal songs, with Slade’s ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and ‘White Christmas’ by Bing Crosby also annoying retail staff. And it seems Christmas is coming earlier every year, with 61 per cent of employers recruiting their Christmas staff before the end of September. However, many still have vacancies that they are desperately wanting to fill. So check out the companies including Tiffany and WHSmith advertising their seasonal vacancies - you can see them all listed on the right.

During the rest of the year Britney Spears tops the list of the most annoying musical artists played on the UK high street.

A staggering 31 per cent of shop workers have to endure the same album between six and 20 times a week, with 16 per cent hearing the same record more than 20 times during the course of a week. Those working in the fashion and footwear retail sectors suffer the most from “repetitive record syndrome.” The most overplayed records on the high street come courtesy of:

1. Britney Spears
2. Usher
3. Kylie Minogue
4. 50 Cent
5. Robbie Williams
6. Akon
7. Beyoncé
8. Blue
= 9. Justin Timberlake
= 9. Michael Jackson

And it’s not just the staff whose nerves are being tested. Forty percent of shop workers receive complaints from customers about the maddening music played as they part with their hard earned cash.

Overall, pop music is still top of the shop’s play list, with the majority of stores opting for this genre. Forty two per cent of those polled believe that pop music in shops actually encourages shoppers to buy more. However when it comes to motivating shoppers to part with their cash, reggae music fares the worst. Just five per cent of shop staff notice an increase in spending when reggae is playing.