How To Light Up Your Retail Store

A well-lit retail environment makes for a positive shopping experience and encourages customers to make purchase decisions. Think of lighting as you would any other marketing or sales promotion tool in your store. A retail space requires a lighting system that has a perfect combination of functional, aesthetic and mood lighting.

A good retail lighting system should be able to:
Attract and guide customers into and through the store.

• Provide visual comfort
• Lead customers through merchandise areas safely and effectively
• Help them find and evaluate merchandise
• Call attention to specific merchandise and reinforce merchandising themes.
• Initiate a purchase

Your lighting system should also be a balance between human needs (visibility, task performance, visual comfort and safety), Environmental and Economic issues (Cost of lighting system ownership, Energy costs and sustainability). Lighting in a retail store should be non-uniform and multi-layered. 

Regardless of the space or area being illuminated, the design scheme usually employs a non-uniform and multi-layered approach combining the three basic categories of lighting as illustrated with the following points:

1. Ambient, or General, Lighting - General/ambient lighting is the main light source for your store. These lights should ensure that your store is not gloomy and that customers feel comfortable and have enough general light to make their way around.The light must be strong enough to enable customers to inspect the merchandise


2. Accent Lighting – Accent lighting is lighting that is used to highlight specific areas, displays, and decor in your store, in order to make products pop and add a sense of importance. Here are some examples of where and why accent lighting might be used:

• Near the front of the store to highlight new products/seasonal item displays
• Any area to add emphasis to a piece of art or decor
• In shelving/display nooks to highlight each specific product
• Above window displays add visual emphasis and draw people into your store
• Lighting actually in your displays/cases (bars, rope lighting, etc). In some cases, displays will already have pre-installed lighting

These lights should be narrow beamed and bright. The beams should be focused on the main attraction and lighting intensity should be reduced to surrounding it only so that the featured item will stand out sharply. Accent lights can be angled up from below, or down from above and Check the lighting at all angles from which a customer might view the display to avoid the possibility of a light shining directly into the eyes of a shopper.

3. Decorative Lighting - Decorative lighting is lighting that functions specifically for the purpose of adding sophistication and beauty to your store. In some ways, this is as much about the light fixture as it is about the specific light, although that is important as well. Decorative lighting would include things such as chandeliers, intricate wall fixtures, and custom designed fixtures. Picking out your decorative lighting is all about creating an atmosphere in your store.

Some stores may not even have decorative lighting, if it does not fit their vibe (hardware, grocery, sporting goods) However, higher end stores (boutiques, jewelry, furniture) often need decorative lighting to help emphasize their brand and influence customer mood. Here are some good locations:
Window Display – Catches the eye from afar and prompts a closer look
Front Entrance – Makes a statement and invites people in
High on Your walls – Draws the eye and provides up light (reduces glare and provides atmosphere)

Looking to design or renovate a retail store? Contact us and we will be able to design a lighting system that would perfectly fit into your specific shop or industry. Working with a professional not only assures you of the desired results but also your safety and that of of your customers.