Lighting Design for Retail

How often have you bought a coat that is an entirely different colour when you get home or in the daylight? Light influenced this result. But, in reality, light is one of the factors with many attributes in a store. We will discuss the following several tips & tricks for lighting commercial spaces.

Customer behaviour has changed recently, being focused more on desire than necessity. That's why lighting should be more important to create emotion and not just follow standards. A store must make its own atmosphere to differentiate itself from the competition.

Analysis of the Retail Lighting Project

Lighting is one factor that makes the shopping experience more or less pleasant. In order to design high-quality commercial lighting in accordance with the brand identity, the target customer, the type of goods displayed, the location (to be able to analyze both natural and artificial light in the area), the characteristics of the interior design of the store must be determined from the beginning (the colours and textures used for finishes, etc.).

Shop Window Lighting

Illuminance Level

The space will be analyzed by zones according to the objectives. The first step to lighting a store is to attract the customer. For this, we need showcases with a very high level of illuminance. It has been proven that 2000lx catches the eye of 25% of passers-by.

Shop Window Lighting Techniques

The basic technique for window lighting is the use of at least two lighting fixtures for each mannequin, the so-called “key light” and “fill light”. This technique not only highlights the products but also eliminates very sharp shadows.
The advanced technique includes the basic technique, but the mannequins are also illuminated from the bottom up. Thus, even more, strong shadows are avoided,
The precise technique additionally includes background lighting. Thus, the shadows created by the mannequins on the background behind them will be much blurred.

The basic lighting technique for shop window is the use of at least two lighting fixtures for each mannequin, the so-called — The basic technique

The advanced technique includes the basic technique, but the mannequins are also illuminated from the bottom up. Thus, even more, strong shadows are avoided — The advanced technique

The precise technique additionally includes background lighting. Thus, the shadows created by the mannequins on the background behind them will be much blurred. — Precise Technique

Other Recommendations

A natural light quantification sensor can be used for shop windows, which can lead to significant savings in electricity.

A flexible system must be considered because the windows’ scenes change frequently. A plus would be adding decorative lighting fixtures, especially for the festive decoration of the shop windows during the holidays. That’s why we recommend track systems. They are very flexible, being able to be changed and adapted to each season, each collection.

All the lighting sources turn on and off alternatively in a shopping window. The mannequins look very different if illuminated from the bottom or from above or if the background is lit.

Shop Entrance

The entrance also has a high illuminance to appear welcoming and attract customers. Chandeliers or bulky light fixtures are not recommended to make the space open and accessible.

Quality Retail Lighting for both Customers and Employees

The main roles of lighting are to highlight merchandise and create a brand-specific atmosphere (some stores have warm, welcoming and familiar hues, while others rely on strong contrast). At the same time, the illuminance for task areas must be taken into account when designing the light in any store. What are the task areas? Going backwards, the users of a store are:

customers
those who work in that store.

So, the task surfaces are the cabinets, shelves, etc., where the products are displayed, the fitting rooms, the cash register, the packing area, etc. As seen in a store, many vertical computing surfaces exist. The most common are spotlights positioned at 1/3 of the wall height and rotated 30 degrees or asymmetric wall washer optics at 1/3 of the wall height.

Depending on your wishes and needs, these lighting fixtures can be recessed for track systems or mounted on the ceiling surface.

A person stands in front of some shelves in a store that is lit correctly from all points of view: they are lit uniformly from top to bottom, and the person in question does not produce shadows on the surface of the shelves. For these results, wall washer-type optics were used

A correct example of shelf lighting in a store: the lighting fixture is mounted at 1/3 of its height.

O persoana se afla in fata rafutrilor unui magazin, iar iluminatul incorect cauzeaza umbre pe suprafata rafturilor ceea ce ingreuneaza vederea produselor expuse. Acest fapt este datorat faptului ca s-a amplasat corpu de iluminat mult prea departe de rafturi, iar orice obicet iintra in raza acestuia, cauzeaza umbre.

Un exemplu de iluminat incorect, in care corpul de iluminat este plasat departe de peretele cu rafturi. Se poate observa umbra clientului pe suprafața rafturilor.

Orientation through the Shop

At the same time, the excellent orientation of customers through the store and a hierarchy of products are other fundamental aspects generated by quality retail space lighting. Although most of the time, we don’t realize it; we are attracted to even a slightly higher level of illumination. This way, hierarchies and the customer’s path through the store can be created. A minimum contrast of 3:1 between product and ambient is recommended. A lower ratio of luminances would not be perceived by the naked eye, and this would cause monotony, a flat and unattractive space.

Exemplification of another lighting principle for commercial spaces where a route taken by the customer is shown. This route is determined by the way the lighting is designed; the customer, being attracted by the light and going from one brighter point to the other, is forced to walk the entire length of the store.

Guiding the customer through the store can be determined by the lighting in that space.

Colour Rendering for Retail Lighting

Another essential thing for lighting products is the CRI (colour rendering index). The customer must correctly read both the colour and the texture of the respective product. Lighting can also influence the amount of time customers spend in the store. If the light is so dim that it prevents an optimal view of the products or so strong that it becomes tiring, the time spent in the store will be significantly reduced.

Fitting Rooms Lighting

The lighting fixtures in the fitting rooms should benefit the human figure and not highlight all its imperfections. Therefore, using a single light source should be avoided, and using two lighting fixtures on either side of the mirror is recommended.

Two fitting rooms, one poorly lit, casting strong shadows. The client is illuminated by a single light source positioned above the head. And the following test cabin is a positive example (the client is illuminated by two large and diffuse light sources positioned on the sides of the mirror)

Negative example (strong contrast, the client is illuminated by a single light source positioned above the head) vs positive example (the client is illuminated by two large and diffused light sources, positioned on the sides of the mirror)

Storage Lighting

For the storage side, employees must have a sufficient amount of light to sort and find the products. Inappropriate lighting, in this case, will lead to making mistakes and wasting time in finding particular objects, thus decreasing productivity. A lighting level of at least 300 lx is recommended for this room. A presence/absence sensor can also be used here to save electricity.

Light Temperature for Retail (CCT)

As for the CCT (Correlated Color Temperature), the choice is strictly related to the brand image. CCT is measured in Kelvin degrees; the higher the values of the degrees, the cooler the whiteness of the light.

The CCT is chosen according to the image of the brand, the atmosphere it wants to present or according to the collection/season. For the second option, we recommend choosing a tunable white system that has an adjustable light temperature according to preferences.

Light Temperatures for Market

But in terms of supermarket lighting, CCT is very important. Choosing a cold light in the bakery department can be just as disastrous as choosing a warm glow in the frozen section. In this case, the CCT, the CRI and specific light components make the difference between a product’s fresh and appetizing appearance versus a spoiled product that causes us repulsion. Let’s imagine a piece of beef under a warm light with reddish tints versus under a green light. We would most likely not be tempted to buy the amount of meat with greenish hues. Thus, different light components are added for different product categories:

Green for vegetables
Red for meat
Orange for bakery
Blue for fish

LED Technology for Retail Lighting

It is recommended to use LED lighting fixtures for efficient and eco-friendly commercial space lighting. Also, using them alongside presence sensors and sensors that quantify natural light can bring serious energy savings. Since LEDs have a long life, maintenance costs are significantly reduced. Another indicator is the effectiveness of the lighting sources (how much light is emitted in relation to how much power it consumes). The unit of measurement is lm/W. Nor should the efficiency of lighting fixtures be neglected, also often referred to as LOR (Light Output Ratio). This represents the ratio between the luminous flux given by the lighting fixture and that given by the light source. This result appears as a percentage and basically means how much light is lost inside the body.

Visioluce can help you both with a wide range of products but also with consulting and designing the lighting design.

Q&A

Our experts have answered the three most common questions customers ask regarding lighting for commercial spaces!

Why is the correct lighting of commercial spaces important?

We want an attractive and welcoming shopping environment. The proper lighting can highlight products, create the desired atmosphere and influence customer behaviour.

How can lighting be used to enhance the shopping experience for customers?

Lighting can be used to highlight specific products, create an inviting atmosphere, and guide customers through the space. Additionally, incorporating lighting that enhances the color and texture of merchandise can make it more appealing and desirable.

What are some important factors to consider when designing lighting for a retail space?

Some critical factors to consider include:

the type of merchandise being sold
the desired atmosphere and mood of the space
the lighting fixtures’ characteristics

What are the most important characteristics of a lighting fixture for commercial spaces?

CRI – or Color Rendering Index. It is best to have a value above 90.
CCT – or light temperature. The lower the value, the warmer the light will be. Using several different colour temperatures is visually taxing and tiring.
Light distribution – represents the optics of the lighting device: narrow, medium, wide, asymmetrical, etc.
The luminous flux of the system is measured in lumens and indicates the volume of light created by the respective body.
Luminous efficiency – indicates how many lumens/Watts the lighting fixture consumes. We don’t want to waste a lot of power on an inefficient result.

What difficulties can we encounter when we do not hire a lighting designer?

Although the lighting concept can be given by the architect or interior designer, lighting simulations in special software help to form an overall picture. Without these simulations, errors such as:

flux values too low or too high, over-lighting the space
using light that is too harsh or unflattering
omitting the efficiency of bodies
wrong choice of light distribution
the wrong big picture
different contrasts
achieving annoying shadows or glare for customers or staff

And the list can go on. But all this leads in a word to increased bends and prolonging the completion of the project.

Do we need layers of light in retail?

The answer is an obvious YES!

General lighting – ensures a safe flow of customers throughout the store, but this alone would create a flat and unattractive atmosphere.

Useful lighting – provides both vertical and horizontal product lighting; a good rendering of the body in the fitting room and a good functioning of the activities in the warehouse and at the cashier.

Accent lighting – provides that personal “touch” of the store, whether we are talking about branding details or the lighting of architectural details.

How does the placement of lighting fixtures affect a retail space?

The placement of lighting fixtures in a commercial space can affect the space’s safety, visibility and atmosphere. Lighting fixtures should be strategically placed to highlight products, create a sense of depth and avoid creating shadows, reflections and glare.

Discover more

Office

On average, a person spends a third of their life at work. Today, companies are doing everything possible to create the most dynamic and pleasant atmosphere in the office. One of the factors that contribute to the well-being of users is light. Light directly affects the mood, energy and productivity of employees. Therefore, a crucial aspect is qualitative lighting for offices.

Hospitality

The hospitality industry strives to provide customers with unforgettable experiences that keep them returning. One factor that contributes to this experience is light. Any lighting design for hospitality involves more than compliance with standards; it shapes the place's identity.

Places of Worship

Light in most religions has a symbolic function representing the presence of the divine. For a church, mosque, synagogue or any place of prayer, light has a special impact. It must convey and create a specific state of calm and safety. That is why the role of lighting design for places of worship is crucial.

Example of church lighting. Lighting for religious building has different lighting scenes and lighting layers.

Museums

The primary role of light in a museum is to highlight works of art without damaging them. The lighting designer considers both the conservation standards of the works (depending on the materials used), the architecture, and the limitations of the exhibition space. In a museum, light should create a mood for discovery, exploration and learning in a creative environment. But very often, it is difficult to fulfil the task of conservation and the desire for discovery at the same time. If you've ever wondered how we approach museum lighting projects, read the paragraphs below!

Public Spaces

Lately, lighting for public spaces has changed radically. Lighting designers are much more oriented towards human experience than strictly on meeting technical standards. Thus they create areas that convey a sense of safety and are much more attractive to users. Public lighting must fulfil the following functions: traffic safety, deterring criminals and highlighting urban spaces.

Industry

Lighting in the industry can influence productivity, the rigour of quality control, but also the safety and well-being of employees. Find industrial lighting tips and principles below.

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