There are many lighting techniques that are used to boost sales and get customers to stay in your store longer. We have outlined five best practices to help you give your customers a buying journey they will want to experience again and again:
1. Contrast
By using contrast, you can help your customers digest your space into smaller parts. While some stores, such as grocery stores, benefit from low-contrast lighting, smaller retail spaces need to use the trick of adding light here or there to tone down the high-input nature of product displays. By utilizing ambient light, mixed with some dark areas and accent lighting, you can focus the customer’s attention on one place, giving them the opportunity to discover more the deeper they travel into your store.
2. Layered Light
Lighting a store doesn’t simply mean making sure the space is well lit. Adding layers to store lighting directs the customer’s eye and can entice them to stay in your store longer and discover more of your products. Starting with ambient light, and building off that foundation with accent, task and decorative lighting, you can create a space evocative of your brand identity.
Ambient
One of the first things customers will notice is the vertical light, or the light you choose to have as your ambient light source. Ambient light serves as the foundational lighting that you layer other kinds kinds of lighting on, and sets the overall tone of your space. These fixtures can range from chandeliers to decorative art installations to modern track lighting and more.
Task
As the name suggests, task lighting is task oriented – meaning a specific job or function is performed in those areas. Some examples of task lighting in a retail setting include lighting affixed above a register or in a changing room, but also extends to back stock areas and office space as well.
Accent
Accent lighting is used to highlight specific products or key areas. Accent lights are what will draw the eye of your customers and guide them to specific products by increasing visibility or accentuating them. For example, behind-the-shelf lighting or inner-cabinet lighting is an easy way to highlight small items or cosmetics. Track or can lights are great for accentuating tables and racks.
3. Set the Tone with Color
How you want your space to feel will dictate whether you choose warm color or cool color lighting. Warm tones evoke a welcoming and cozy feel, while cool tones give a high-tech, modern and sleek vibe. Color rendering index (CRI) will affect the colors of your products, but a good rule of thumb for retail settings is a CRI of 90+. CRI is related to, but not fully associated with Kelvin, or whether the tone of the light is cool (a high number), or warm (a low number). The same Kelvin output can have differing CRI’s, so be sure to state to your lighting professional what look you’re going for, and they’ll help guide you.
4. Get it Bright
It is important to take into consideration how the level of brightness will cause things to look in your space. Brightness will affect the look of your furniture, walls and wall colors. The brightness is also related to the type of contrast, and how much contrast you are able to achieve in your space.
5. Control the Light
Invest in an easy to use, easy to maintain lighting control system. A lighting system can help you control the mood and ambiance of your store and create the ultimate buying experience for your customers.
Applying these lighting techniques in retail spaces can create a space that your customers want to visit again and again, that makes them feel confident in the purchase they are making. To implement these retail lighting techniques in your space, connect with a Persona Triangle lighting expert today!
