Lighting Up The Room

Jennifer Polanz

Of all the senses we’ve covered in this series, perhaps the most vital of them all is sight. A customer cannot “un-see” his or her first impression of your store, from the first time driving by on the road to the first time walking into the store. Those impressions can last, and as the saying goes, you never get a second chance at making a first impression.

Of all the ways to convey sight, we decided to focus on lighting. We have displays featured in many other areas in the magazine, as well as store setup. But we rarely talk about lighting, which needs to be rectified. Lighting sets your mood and tone, as well as give the impression of clean or dirty, warm or cold and often evokes emotions from customers.

Think about the type of store you want your retail operation to be. Are you going for warm and inviting? Modern and sleek? Crisp and elegant? Your lighting can influence all of these. And, according to a recent report from Phillips, lighting can even provide customers clues toward price point and the kinds of merchandise you carry, as well as draw them to specific items before they get too far into your store.

For example, the report notes that using crisp, bright halogen lighting on a stand-alone display can draw your customer toward it, making that display a focal point.

The Phillips report also highlights accent factors or how strong focal point lighting needs to be to have an effect. “For example, an accent factor of 5 means that the accent factor is 5 times as bright as the general or ambient lighting near it,” the report states. “Theatrical effects come from accent factors of 15 or more.”

Looking Good
Something else to consider is just how good your merchandise looks under those lights. Some of today’s LED lights can illuminate color better than more traditional lights, making those reds, blues and yellows brighter and more cart-worthy than they’ve ever been. These LEDs score high on the Color Rendering Index, a scale from 0 to 100 with 100 being the best. LEDs receive a score based on how well they render multiple colors (so the scores are tallied up) and there are some that score in the 90s. These lights are vital to showing vibrant colors, textures and surfaces for anything from gifts and accents to furniture and even gardening products.

In fact, it’s this high contrast of bright focal lighting mixed in with minimal and even ambient lighting that is recommended by lighting experts based on a combined study conducted by researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden and Hamburg University of Applied Sciences in conjunction with international lighting company Zumtobel.

The study also showed cool colors, such as white lighting, makes areas appear spacious, while warmer lighting “creates an impression of smallness and familiarity.”

“Intermediate white light extends the amount of time customers spend in a shop and improves their sense of well-being, and should therefore be used for general lighting,” the study states.

One other point to note from the study: eye-tracking research showed lower levels of shelves went relatively unnoticed. Providing targeted accent lighting for lower levels is recommended to attract customer attention. Shelf-level lighting is recommended in all levels, but if it can’t be implemented everywhere, illuminating lower shelves can at least keep those items in the customer’s sight.

Other Aspects of Lighting
Have you thought about the lighting in your stockroom or warehouse lately? How hard is it for your employees to see while unloading product behind the scenes? Lighting is equally important for efficiency and safety, as pointed out in a case study by the National Lighting Bureau, a non-profit organization. Quality lighting is important at the checkout stations, as well, so cashiers can scan products and take payment quickly and accurately. And don’t forget about parking lots, which should be illuminated properly so employees and customers feel safe after dark.

Another important point from the case study is to have a maintenance program for routine cleaning and changing of bulbs. Dust and dirt can accumulate on the bulbs, which means though they’re operating at full capacity (and costing you the same amount), they’re not lighting the floor the way they should be.

Customers have lots of choices for where to shop and they make judgments quickly based on the condition of the store, the products available and how they feel inside the store—which is influenced by most, if not all, their senses.

When it comes to lighting, the Phillips report summed it up perfectly: “Retail lighting should address the way your customers want to shop. An effective lighting design makes shoppers feel relaxed, engaged and increases their ability to move through the store with confidence.” GP