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Quality retail shop lighting is crucial to your customers’ shopping experience. With its ability to provide plenty of visibility and even enhance the mood of the customer, the importance of retail lighting cannot be overstated.
In this article, we’ll explore the dos and don’ts of getting retail and boutique lighting right.
Why is Retail Store Lighting Important? Â
Store lighting plays a critical role in the overall atmosphere of the shop, as well as the shopping experience for the customer. Shop lights that are bright and plentiful allow for plenty of visibility so the customer can clearly see what they’re purchasing. Beyond that, it can have an impact on the customer’s mood.
Commercial light fittings with high quality illumination are more likely to have a positive impression on the customer and make them want to hang around and browse. On the other hand, poor lighting may drive them to want to leave earlier. It may also leave them dissatisfied with their products once they get home if they do not look the same outside of the shop.
Dos and Don’ts of Shop Light Design
DO:
- Do include layered lighting.
Layering lights is the process of adding ambient, accent and task lighting to a space. When these three combine, they create a well-lit, balanced look.
Ambient lighting provides the main level of illumination and is accomplished using shop ceiling lights, such as recessed lights or pendant lights. Task lighting provides focused illumination to areas where tasks are performed. This includes fitting rooms, checkout counters, and display lights in cabinets that need some extra detail.
Finally, accent lighting highlights certain details in the shop you want to draw attention to. Shop window lights, shop front lights, signage lights and special display lights are achieved through strip lights, spotlights, or track lights.
- Do choose the appropriate colour temperature.
Colour temperature is the metric that discusses how warm or cool a light looks to be. It is measured in Kelvin units on a spectrum between 1,000K and 10,000K. The top of the spectrum has the cooler lights, where the lower end of the spectrum has the warmer lights.
The lighting you choose for your retail shop will depend on the vibe you are going for. Warmer lights between 2700K and 3300K are good for creating a moodier feeling with a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere.Cooler lights between 4000K and 5000K, on the other hand, offer a brighter, more modern feel. Cool colour temperatures are better for showroom lights, electronics stores, or anywhere that needs a minimalistic design.
- Do take advantage of accent lighting.
Accent lighting can be a key player in your LED shop lighting. Take advantage of it for creating special displays and end caps, or for promotional items and new arrivals. Using accent lighting strategically, you can guide customers through the shop in a natural way. This will promote thorough browsing of your products and could encourage more purchases.
- Do use LED lighting.
LED lights for shop lighting design are a must. LED lights bring with them benefits that traditional halogen and incandescent bulbs do not. Perks of LED lighting include:
- ENERGY EFFICIENCY. LED bulbs use 80 percent less energy than halogen or incandescent bulbs. This is due to the fact that they do not need to produce heat first to generate illumination.
- ECO-FRIENDLINESS. Since LEDs use so much less energy, they are gentler on the environment as well. Using LED ceiling lights for shops, for example, instead of traditional bulbs, can lower your carbon footprint. This is ideal if you are working toward a greener workplace.
- LONG LIFE. LED lights for shop will last much longer than traditional bulbs. Where halogen and incandescent bulbs are rated to last only 1,000 hours, LED lights last for tens of thousands of hours.
- COST EFFECTIVENESS. With a reduction of energy use, you will see the price of your energy bills decrease over time. Furthermore, you won’t need to replace them nearly as often. The infrequent replacements will save you money on up front purchases through the years,
- Do light vertical planes.
Take advantage of the natural pull of the human eye by lighting the vertical plane of your shop. Accomplish this by lighting the walls and bringing illumination from floor to ceiling.
DON’TS:
- Don’t neglect lumen counts.
Lumen counts are the measure of an LED light’s brightness, similar to the way wattage measures the brightness of traditional bulbs. Different lights in the shop will require different brightness levels. For example, your task lighting should be much brighter than the ambient lights to create points of focus. Accent lighting, on the other hand, tends to be dimmer and softer.
- Don’t forget about CRI.
CRI, or colour rendering index, depicts how accurately a light depicts the colours of whatever it shines upon. Lights with a high CRI are recommended for showcasing the true colours of your products.
This is especially important with areas like jewellery display lighting and other small, expensive items. Your customers will expect their jewellery to look the same out of the shop as it did in the case.
- Don’t overdo the lighting.
While having a well-lit shop with quality shop light fittings is important, there is such a thing as too much light. Do not overwhelm your customers with too much lighting–especially not bright lights. Not only can this be distracting, but it can also be unpleasant. An unpleasant shopping environment may lead customers to depart the store faster than they ordinarily might, purchasing fewer items.
- Don’t depend on singular controls.
While you might feel tempted to connect each light to a manual switch, this is not the most efficient way to do it. Incorporating things like occupancy sensors, smart lights on timers and even dimming systems can help improve the overall lighting environment and shopping experience. You can set routines,
ConclusionÂ
Retail shop lighting can make or break the customer experience in your store–which could positively or negatively affect sales as a result. By following the tips above, you can make the most out of your retail lighting and leave a lignering impression upon your customers.
Retail Shop Lighting Ideas
Light up windows and wall displays with the LSP228 16 Watt Slim Style LED Track Light. These slimline track lights are subtle and non-distracting with their thin design. They come in neutral colours of black or white to better blend into your shop decor. Ultra bright, these fixtures generate 1280 lumens of your choice of either warm or cool light at a 20 degree beam angle. They are built to last from premium aluminium.
Light up your display cases beautifully with the LSD017 2 Watt Black Twin LED Cabinet Display Spot Lights. These display lights are ideal for multiple tiers thanks to their slim and vertical design. They come with two lights that provide a combined total of 140 lumens. Their cool 6000K light colour is ideal for lighting jewellery displays especially. Tilt and twist the light heads to shine the 30 degree beam of light wherever you please. The light post itself measures 200 millimeters tall and is crafted out of premium aluminium.
Provide ample ambient lighting with the LDC703 15 Watt LED Dimmable Triple White Recessed Downlight. These recessed downlights output a total of 1290 lumens of light at a 24 degree beam angle. Adjust the direction of the light with the rotating gimbal that moves 350 degrees around. It is fashioned out of durable aluminium and comes in a clean white finish to suit any shop decor. Overall, the fixture measures 258 millimeters by 92 millimeters in size.
Light up your shop with the bright and modern LDC963 36 Watt Dimmable Triple Modular LED Downlight. This light features three bulbs that provide a combined 2700 lumens of light, making them ideal for the ambient light layer. Choose from either 3000K warm white light, or 6000K cool white depending on your needs. They shine at a 38 degree beam angle to provide focused lighting where you need it. The fixtures are fashioned out of premium aluminium finished in white with a stylish black internal reflector area.
