What the right light can do for retail business
The ability to create a particular mood or ambience in a store - and to stop shoppers in their tracks - is invaluable to retailers. "Great lighting makes customers feel comfortable, ... enhance product displays, and help create a store ambience that makes shopping enjoyable. A welcoming atmosphere grabs and guides your customers, and dynamic display lighting gives products and produce a fresh and enticing look by highlighting just the right colour accents," says Mark Greenhill, Philips Lighting Specialist.
Importantly, saving energy and keeping your store cool and comfortable will help reduce running costs. Follow the cycle of the shopper and see exactly where lighting can have an impact on retail business at these five shopper touchpoints:
- Fashion shopping: When a customer picks out a garment, she not only wants to see herself in a flattering light, but she also wants to have a realistic impression of how the outfit will look. Allow the customer to understand how a garment will wear in different environments by giving her the option to control the light, and go from the office to the club at the flick of a switch.
- The supermarket: Give your customers a feast for their eyes. Luxurious lighting brings out the rich colours and texture of fresh produce, complementing seductive smells. Preserve fragile cheeses, wine and meat with heat-free LED fixtures and keep freezers cool with LED lights.
- Window displays: Window displays turn stores into stories for a brand. What's more, they can help you attract, engage and convert your customers. Our eye is very sensitive to movement and brightness. It's these factors - dynamics and contrast - that can be used to attract attention in a shop window.
- Checkout and cashier: Ensure customer loyalty with a well-designed checkout experience. Clear illumination creates a pleasant space for customers; energy-efficient LEDs meet working standards for staff and can improve productivity.
- Parking façade: Your exterior appearance affects how people feel about your shopping centre - and whether or not they enter it. Give them a taste of what's in store, with welcoming and attractive façade lighting. Guide and comfort your customers with well-lit parking areas and help them avoid the stress of finding a parking space or feeling nervous in dark areas.
"Shop lighting is all about emotion. It's about bringing out the emotion that retailers want to associate with the brand. Our customers often have clear ideas and views about the way in which lighting will contribute to the overall feel of their stores. In short, they know what they want and they want a partner who has the flexibility to turn what they imagine into reality," concluded Greenhill.
