"ambient music for shopping spaces, these days, is meant to soothe you or pump you up, and generally nudge your habits toward consumption" Fortunately, we do have some resistance to this in the form of portable music players. I virtually never hear any music at any of the venues or stores I visit, because I'm always listening to my own.
Maybe I'm alone here but I almost think this is worse. Granted the manipulative aspect of using specific music to set a mood in public places can be kinda gross, but I don't like that the alternative is that now everyone's in their own bubble and further isolating themselves from the people around them.
No you're not alone. But most people do it because garbage mainstream "inoffensive" music is blasted almost everywhere you go