Marks & Spencer pulls the plug on store music

Marks & Spencer is pulling the plug on its in-store piped music after extensive feedback from customers and as it begins plans to revive its clothing and homeware business.

The retail chain said it would take a few weeks for the music to be culled from 300 stores across the UK selling clothing and homewares, the BBC reported. Stores that only sold food did not have music played.

M&S has 854 stores nationwide and it introduced background music -- often referred to as "muzak", "elevator music" or "piped music" -- in certain locations in 2006.

Share in M&S were down more than 3% this afternoon.

On 24 May, the company posted a 18.5% slide in statutory profits to £488.8m.

The results were accompanied by plans to revive its clothing and homeware business and a warning that the changes would hit profits, sending M&S' shares south at the time.