How Retail Lighting Design can increase your sales

A well-designed lighting concept produces a more attractive and effective selling environment and is a significant component of your customers’ shopping experience.

Your lighting installation is also an important cost factor. Carefully designed lighting can result in significant cost savings. Modern lighting consumes less energy, is easier to maintain and generates less heat.

Here are 5 lighting tips that can increase sales:

 

1. Make your philosophy come to life
A good costume-made lighting concept should respond to the philosophy of your brand and the type of consumer that you have or want to have. Do you have a luxury brand targeted to a middle-age public? Or do you sell outdoor products for a young outgoing customer? These two stores would require completely different lighting concepts.

 

2. Different layers of light will create a stimulating atmosphere
Finding the right combination between general lighting and accent lighting helps to create a stimulating atmosphere that keeps the consumer engaged without being overloaded. A very uniform light can be boring and wrongly placed accents can be confusing. Balance is always the key.

 

3. Choose the right colour temperature according to the concept of your brand and the showcased products
The choice of colour temperature is in close relation to the philosophy of your brand. A warm colour temperature is usually associated with traditional, dignified and luxury atmospheres. A cool colour temperature can relate to modern, trendy and innovative concepts.

It is not only the philosophy of your brand but also the type of products on display. Some metals, for example silver, looks better under a cooler light but gold looks better under a warm light. Bread is better presented with light in very warm tones, and fish with cool tones.

 

4. Luminaires with high CRI will show your products qualities
CRI (Colour Rendering Index) is a value from 1 to 100. It indicates how accurately a source of light can render the colours of objects. Natural light has the perfect CRI, it shows the real colours of any element. The higher CRI of a luminaire, the closer it is to natural light.

Light planning with a very good CRI ensures that the products are presented in the best way. It makes the product more attractive and helps the consumer in the decision making because “what they see is what they get”.

 

5. Guide your customer with lighting
Incorrect guiding can create confusion and result in decreased sales. But not only physical signs are there to guide, a good lighting concept will also help the visitors to understand the store. It guides them through their journey by highlighting the important areas, the interesting products and the signs and graphics.

Different areas in the store can be set apart by a change in the lighting atmosphere. Placing highlights on the right elements will not only create a smooth experience but can also work as a “call-to-action”.

Various scenes and atmospheres can be created by using control systems that controls light levels, colour temperature and on/off/dim in different parts of the store or during different times of the day etc.

The latest trend is to try to attract as many senses as possible controlling both light, sound and media in the same system to express different feelings and attract the customer to find and buy a product or direct the customer in a certain direction.

 

Article written by
Gordana Drazic, Head of Lighting Design
ITAB Germany

MORE ON PROFESSIONAL STORE LIGHTING