Lighting Rules of Retail
As any business owner knows, the right lighting is an important aspect of a retail space. The lighting in a retail location should achieve certain goals all while ensuring a pleasant lighting experience for the customer. Let’s take a closer look at the top 5 lighting rules of retail to make sure your business achieves these goals.
1. Stick to a consistent color temperature
When looking at the top 5 lighting rules of retail, color temperature is a key component of a well-designed lighting layout. Color temperature is essentially how warm (yellow) or cool (white to blue-white) a light is to the eyes. Why does color temperature matter in retail spaces? For starters, color temperature plays a role in customer perception of a space with warmer colors creating a cozy vibe and cooler temperatures inspiring a more alert vibe. Color temperature also plays a role in the willingness to buy. If your location is perceived as too warm in temperature, consumers are less likely to buy from your location. The right color temperature will obviously depend on the type of retail space. The key is to stick to a consistent color temperature throughout the space. You shouldn’t have warm lights and cool lights in the same space since it creates a startling and unpleasant contrast for the eyes.
2. Layer light sources
The illumination of a space should come from several different light sources to be effective and look pleasing to the eye. For instance, you don’t want to create all of the lumens in the space by simply using overhead troffer fixtures and leaving it at that. Not only is that incredibly outdated for the retail field, but it leaves the space looking a bit washed out. When you layer lighting by using several fixture types with multiple light spread directions, it is easier on the eyes while playing up to the attractive quality the modern consumer expects nowadays.
3. Utilize windows but don’t rely on them solely
Windows in a retail space can help create a natural light source that saves on lighting costs during the day. While you want to utilize this natural light source as much as possible because natural light is the most pleasing to the eyes of the consumer, you shouldn’t rely on it too heavily. If the location is open at night or there is a stormy day, that light source will not be enough without artificial lights to compensate. Make sure you utilize windows but don’t rely on them too much when planning your lighting layout.
