Retail Display Lighting Techniques

Retail is such an integral part of any economy, and as a result, it has its own supporting services sector. Lighting design consultancy forms an important part in retail, and the right lighting design and techniques could be the difference from customers buying products for your store or going somewhere else.

There are three solid techniques that can be applied to all types of display lighting. Regardless of application, the brighter the average illumination and more uniform the lighting, the less ‘exclusive’ is the brand image. Just think: What’s the difference between grabbing a burger at a chain restaurant compared to a small, expensive restaurant. The difference in lighting is one of the main things that comes to mind.

Retail lighting is much more varied than in other sectors, or guidance can only be given in the most general terms. You are better off to hire professionals to help with your lighting needs.

A great rule of thumb to consider when lighting your retail business is to use the layering technique. Build up the overall design of your store by using different methods of lighting. This could include spotlighting things on sale, extra illumination near stairs or at the payment counter, etc. By doing this, use the three methods below as a key for reference.

Plain

Panel lighting is a very popular way to provide good, overall lighting in a retail space. It’s ideal in terms of watts per square meter, and the color temperature is consistent throughout the store. If you want energy-efficient, uniform, functional lighting, this is it. The only decision you will have to make is the lux level you want.

Dramatic

Opposite from plain lighting, dramatic lighting uses narrow-angle track spotlights and medium beam gimbal fittings. Even though the average horizontal illumination is just a tad less, the effect is completely different. The gimbals provide background illumination but the impact obviously comes from the narrow angle spotlights focused on the objects on display. It’s much more interesting. All spotlights can be aimed, so it’s much more flexible and can be changed with the store’s layout.

This option also has disadvantaged. Spotlights need to be aimed correctly. If it’s not, it may create an unnecessary glare for customers. Also, the electrical load is much higher than plain knighting.

Balanced

Balanced combines both plain and dramatic lighting together for the perfect look. It retains the flexibility dramatic lighting by using the spotlights, but instead uses panels for overall illuminations. It creates a degree of highlighting on the merchandise and the lighting can be adjusted for store layout changes.

An aspect to keep an eye out for is the color temperature of the luminaires. Some shops go for cool background lighting and warmer spotlighting, further drawing the customer to specific items. 

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(Source: LUX)

MLB Stadiums Improving Lighting Through Use of LED

Of 30 Major League Baseball stadiums in the United States, five of them now officially use LED lighting to illuminate the field. With the help of solid state lighting (SSL) - a type of lighting that uses semiconductor LEDs as a source of illumination rather than electrical filaments, plasma, or gas – saves 40% of energy and significantly reduces maintenance costs, saving the stadium serious cash.

Before the 2016 season, only the Seattle Mariners had LED lights in their stadium, which they installed just before the 2015 baseball season. Then, the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and Houston Astros followed suit.

These teams found a multitude of reasons and benefits of the switch to LED lighting for such an important affair.

These LED lights have the capability to instantly turn on and off, which allows these stadiums to present light shows for special events hosted at the park. During the home opener at Petco Park, the Padres organization presented a light show that was different each night of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Small features like this help in the overall business of the stadiums, as it appeals to more than just baseball fans. This aforementioned capability is also a complete difference from the lights used before. The HID lighting previously used to light the field took a white for the lights to warm up and fully turn on, and same with powering off.

Another benefit to having these LEDs throughout the stadium is that it allows the technology to work in synchronization with ribbon boards, as well as the score board and jumbo-tron. This allows for a more flawless in-house production for the broadcast team.

These changes in lighting not only effect the organization, but also the customers and fans attending the game. With lowered energy costs, ticket prices will also decrease, making going to a game with your family a little more affordable. It also makes the stadium a more safe place to be because with more budget for lighting coming from the savings, more lighting will be implemented.

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(Source: LEDs Magazine)

Make The Most Of Your Fresh Produce Lighting

You may not know, but there is a right and wrong choice when choosing lighting for grocery stores. Stores aim to display produce in the most appealing way possible to help boost sales.

LED luminaires display food in the best light, which brings out the bright colors and textures in produce.

Not only does the right lighting tempt customers to buy, but it enhances the overall shopping experience by providing clear visibility throughout.

As stated in our last article, LEDS reduce energy usage which in turn slashes operating costs. LEDs can even help you reduce food waste by increasing the shelf life of fresh produce!

MEAT DISCOLORATION

Lighting-induced discoloration for sliced meat presents zero health problems, but it can put customers off from buying the product. And because fresh food areas are the main reason a customer picks a specific super market, discolored meat can decrease customer loyalty.

POTATO GREENING

Potatoes green naturally due to exposure of lighting through the process of chlorophyll, but the discoloration can be off-putting to shoppers. The discoloration makes the potatoes look less attractive and also indicates an increased level of toxin in fresh produce. In an experiment by Philips Lighting, lower light levels were more favorable, but only after a significant amount of dimming.

Check out City Lighting Products work at  Dierbergs Market here. 

Source: Philips Lighting

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