Shop lighting

When out shopping, customers rely solely on the appearance of the products and what that appearance can communicate. Quality retail lighting ensures that they can see any given product clearly, while also promoting a more comfortable shopping experience.

We offer a large selection of shop lighting perfect for any kind of retail store. Browse our collection to get started today.

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Benefits of Good Retail Lighting

Retail light fixtures go a long way toward improving the overall customer experience in your shop. This begins with the atmosphere they experience as soon as they walk in. 

You can use shop lamps and layered lighting to create a mood that fits the vibe of your brand. If you want something that is cosy, dark and edgy, you can use dim, warm lighting. This is a particularly popular method in boutique stores. Conversely, bright, cool lights offer a modern feel that is great for any kind of shop. 

Retail display lighting is the other main benefit of retail shop lights. Using proper lighting, you can clearly show off the items that you have on display. Not only can it guide customers toward certain end caps and displays, but it can also highlight the products themselves on display. A popular way to accomplish this is through shop track lights.

Types of Lighting Used in Retail Spaces

There is a large variety of lights that are used in retail lighting: 

LED TRACK LIGHTING – Retail spotlights on tracks are a common choice for retail shop lighting. They are flexible, so you can change their direction and orientation whenever you refresh your displays. 

LED DOWNLIGHTS – Recessed and surface mounted downlights provide the ambient layer of lighting in the shop and are quite important to the overall lighting scheme. Recessed lights are particularly favoured for their modern, minimalist appearance and sleek aesthetic. 

LED PENDANT LIGHTING – Hanging shop lights are a nice way to draw attention to certain areas of the shop. They add visual interest and decorative appeal with their ability to enhance the aesthetics of the shop.

CABINET DISPLAY LIGHTING – In cabinets and glass counters, you need crisp, bright light to show off the small details of the merchandise. Display lighting directly in the cabinet can accomplish this for you. 

WALL WASHER LIGHTING FOR THE EXTERIOR – Outdoor shop lights are just as important as interior lights. They can be used to light the façade, the signage and the windows to attract the attention of prospective customers passing the store. 

How To Illuminate the Exterior of a Retail Store

Exterior shop lights are an important element of your retail lighting design. Good outdoor lights will be able to attract customer attention from the street while making your shop easy and safe to approach and enter. There are many ways you can accomplish this. 

Façade lighting is one of the most popular methods wherein you place lights in such a way that they shine on the wall textures, architectural features or other unique design components on your shop’s exterior. Not only does this create visual interest, but it also helps to cement your branding and improve recognition. 

Lighting pathways up to the shop is another way to ensure the safety and comfort of your customers. Install lights on sidewalks, walkways and driveways to guide customers to your front door and ensure the property is well-lit. The entryway itself also needs ample lighting. Lighting the canopy above the door will further increase the visibility and accessibility of the shop at night. 

Of course, window display lighting is paramount. Illuminate the displays in the window to attract people walking by. This lighting can highlight any products you want to stand out while encouraging conversions from window shoppers to actual customers.

A little further out from the shop, you can focus on the parking and landscape lighting. Illuminate car parks to provide high visibility, and illuminate trees, shrubs and other landscaping elements to create a cohesive and balanced look across the property. 

Advice on How To Create Great Shop Window Displays with Lighting

Creating a quality window display means putting ample focus on the lighting used there. To begin, you will need to keep colour temperature in mind. Use warm and neutral white lights to make your window display attractive and easy on the eyes, while still being bright enough to see adequately.

Similarly, you will want to choose lights with a high CRI. A colour rendering index of 80 or higher will show the colours of the products in the most accurate way. 

The angle at which you place the light is equally as important. Place it at such a height that the light shines down on merchandise without casting harsh shadows and without causing glare in customers’ eyes.

On the other hand, you can use shadows to your advantage. Casting strategic shadows will create depth and visual interest, which may do a better job at attracting a person’s eye to your store.

Spotlights and recessed lighting tend to work the best for window displays. That said, a stylish floor lamp can do wonders for creating a cosy-looking display.

Why is LED Lighting The Best For Retail Lighting?

LED retail lighting is the preferred method for shops as opposed to halogen bulbs. LED shop lights pose many benefits that traditional lighting simply does not, including: 

  • ENERGY SAVING LIGHTING – LED bulbs use significantly less energy than halogen bulbs. Shop display lights that are constantly on throughout the entire day will take up fewer resources if they are equipped with LED bulbs.
  • ECO-FRIENDLINESS – Lower energy consumption also makes LED bulbs low carbon footprint lighting.
  • LONG LASTING LIFE – LED lights are rated to outlast tens of thousands of hours of use. Compare this to the 1,000 hours or so that halogen bulbs offer.
  • COST SAVING – With less of a strain on your electricity sources and a less frequent need for replacements, you will save a lot of money both in the short and long term using LED retail lighting innovations.
  • VERSATILITY – With LED shop light fixtures, you can get creative not just with its style and shape but with the light itself. LED bulbs come in a spectrum of warm and cool colours, so you can choose the one that is the best fit for your brand. 

CCT, otherwise known as colour temperature, is a way to measure the warmth or coolness of a light. Colour temperature is measured in units Kelvin on a scale of 1,000 to 10,000. Warmer lights are at the lower end of the spectrum, while cooler lights are at the upper end.

Each type of lighting has its place, so it mostly comes down to what you want for your specific shop. Below are the uses for and the benefits of the four main categories of light:

  1. Warm White (2700k to 3000k)

Warm white creates an inviting and cosy atmosphere that is best used in cafes or boutique clothing shops to create a relaxed mood. 

  1. Neutral White (3500k to 4000k) 

Neutral whites give a nice balance between cool and warm tones and work best in retail spaces for general merchandise or in grocery stores. 

  1. Cool White (4000k to 5000k)

Cool white light gives an energetic, crisp and bright appearance. This type of light is ideal in jewellery shops and areas where you need accurate colour rendering. 

  1. Daylight (5000k to 6500k) 

This light mimics natural lighting, giving plenty of visibility and clarity. It is ideal for use in showrooms, art galleries or anywhere you want to emphasise the fine details of a product.

Consider the following when planning your retail lighting scheme. 

DO: 

  • DO layer your lighting. A mistake that is easy to make is not layering the lights. By neglecting to add accent and task lighting to your ambient layer, you create a shallow lighting scheme. This can also make it harder for customers to see the products they are interested in buying.
  • DO light vertical surfaces. Create dynamic and visually interesting lighting by giving special attention to vertical spaces, such as walls. This will help the store seem larger and more spacious.
  • DO think carefully about materials and finishes. Light is prone to bounce off certain materials while being diminished by others. Metals and other glossy finishes will move light around the room, but if you want something more subtle, choose matte surfaces instead.
  • DO take advantage of natural light. Natural sunlight provides the most accurate CRI, making the items in the shop appear as they actually are. When possible, let natural light into the shop.

DON’T: 

  • DON’T overdo it. If you overlight the space, it will be uncomfortable on the eyes. Customers are more likely to leave before they can buy anything if the environment they are shopping in is uncomfortable.
  • DON’T cause glare. Similarly, ensure your customer’s comfort by avoiding glare. This can be done by paying special attention to where the light is placed and the direction in which it is shining.
  • DON’T depend only on spotlights. While spotlights are great for window and wall displays, the lighting scheme in your shop shouldn’t depend entirely on them. There are other shop light fixtures you can include. Consider working in pendant lights, recessed lighting or even wall lights to create balance.
  • DON’T neglect the cabinets. If you have small, valuable items for sale such as jewellery, you need to light them properly. Remember to add cabinet lighting to show off their finer details since customers can’t just pick them up and examine them closely.

The first thing you should do when planning a lighting scheme in a store is to consider the layers of light you will want to incorporate. Layering light provides a balanced look and feel to the store while also highlighting the areas you want to be seen. 

  • AMBIENT LIGHTING – This will be the main source of light in the shop. It usually comes in the form of shop ceiling lights, such as recessed lighting, spotlights or pendant lights.
  • TASK LIGHTING – Task lights focus on locations that need more attention than others. Areas including changing rooms and paying stations are where task lighting is a must to allow employees and customers alike to see properly.
  • ACCENT LIGHTING – Accent lights will draw attention to certain products or display areas in the store. They are particularly effective for lighting window displays using shop spotlights.

You should also take into account the uniqueness of the space when planning the lighting. Think about the size and shape of your store and what areas you want to draw the most attention to. Figure out where you need to add accent and task lighting beforehand. 

While doing this, you should also be paying attention to the textures in the store. If you have dark finishes and shiny surfaces on your ceiling, you can expect ceiling lights to bounce off of it. If you have matte finishes, light is less likely to travel around the space the way it would with a glossy surface. 

As for the light itself, colour temperature, brightness and CRI should be taken into account. Colour temperature refers to the warmth or coolness of a light, which should be decided according to the personality and goals of your shop. Brightness levels will also be dictated by these elements, as well as the overall size of your shop. 

CRI, or colour rendering index, is important for ensuring the colours of the products are accurately reflected. Choosing a lighting index of 80 or higher will yield more accurate results.

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