What is the Importance of Lighting in Retail Stores?

The importance of lighting in retail stores is often underestimated as many businesses overlook how lighting affects retail sales. This is unfortunate since lighting is a key factor in shaping customer experience.

In this guide, we aim to help you avoid that mistake by explaining the importance of lighting in a retail setting, how it affects sales and customer experience, and how to design an effective lighting plan for your store.

What is the importance of lighting in retail stores?

The importance of lighting in retail stores is evident in several studies that highlight its influence on customer behavior, mood, and ultimately, purchasing decisions. Proper lighting can significantly enhance product visibility, create a welcoming atmosphere, and stimulate customer interest, leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction.

According to a study published on Research Gate, the significance of ambient lighting in crafting an inviting retail environment has been empirically studied.

Despite the plethora of other cues available in a retail setting, lighting emerged as a significant factor in evoking the desired atmosphere.

This emphasizes that even amidst the extensive contribution of design elements in retail environments, lighting holds a distinctive role in creating an inviting ambiance.

How lighting affects retail sales

Effective lighting plays a vital role in shaping customer behavior and mood, while also elevating the appeal of products and guiding shoppers along their paths.

By implementing appropriate lighting strategies, retailers can not only extend the amount of time customers spend in their stores but also enhance customer satisfaction.

Here are the main ways in which lighting affects retail sales:

Mood and Psychology

When customers enter a retail store, the lighting immediately affects their mood:

• Warm: creates a comfortable and welcoming environment, making customers feel relaxed and more inclined to browse.
• Cool: evokes excitement and energy.
• Bright: makes customers more alert, leading to quicker purchasing decisions.
• Dim: promotes more deliberate and thoughtful purchases.

By understanding these responses, retailers can strategically use lighting to guide shopping behavior and increase sales.

Furthermore, lighting can highlight products or areas, drawing attention and sparking interest. Retailers can effectively guide customers' attention to promote specific products.

Improve product appeal

Lighting enhances product appeal by improving visibility and highlighting features. It makes colors vibrant, textures pronounced and details noticeable for a more accurate perception:

• Warm: invites and accentuates clothing
• Cool: emphasizes freshness in supermarkets
• Accent: spotlights high-value items, attracting customers. 

Lighting also contributes to store aesthetics and branding, creating a consistent environment that aligns with the brand's identity. Effective lighting strategies enhance product appeal, improve customer experiences, and drive retail sales.

Guide customers to the right direction

Strategic use of lighting can effectively guide customers through the store, leading them to key areas or products you want to highlight. Using different lighting intensities can create a visual hierarchy in the store:

• Brightly lit areas naturally draw attention and encourage customers to move towards them
• Softer lighting can create a relaxed environment in rest areas or fitting rooms.
• High-intensity spotlights can also be employed to direct customers to promotional items or new product launches.
• Pathway lighting that subtly illuminates aisles and walkways not only ensures the safety of customers but also intuitively guides them through different sections of the store.

Foster trust and cultivate positive emotions

Trust and positive emotions are integral to the shopping experience, and lighting plays a critical role in fostering these feelings.

Well-lit stores are perceived as trustworthy, reliable, and professional, which boosts customer confidence in the retailer. In contrast, lighting that is too dim can make a store appear uninviting and untrustworthy, while excessively bright lighting can be overwhelming.

Striking a balance between the two is key to cultivating customer trust.

Different types of lighting can influence emotions differently - neutral, white lighting is often associated with honesty and clarity, while warm yellow lighting can create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.

Types of lighting in retail stores

Now that we understand the significance of lighting in retail settings and how it affects sales, let's explore various types of lighting used in retail stores. Each type serves a unique purpose and plays an integral role in shaping the overall retail environment. Understanding these different lighting types can help retailers develop a more effective and engaging store lighting plan.

Ambient lighting

Ambient lighting is the main source of light in a store. It sets the overall mood and provides enough light for safe movement and basic visibility with its primary function being consistent, uniform lighting throughout the retail space. This type of lighting is typically achieved using ceiling-mounted fixtures, track lights, or recessed lights. 

Ideally, ambient lighting should ideally be soft and non-distracting. It serves as the base upon which layers of accent and task lighting are added to highlight specific products or areas, so it should not cause harsh shadows or glare as it could create an uncomfortable shopping environment and potentially discourage customers. 

Generally, warmer tones of ambient lighting are used in environments where a cozy, welcoming atmosphere is desired.

For example, in commercial restaurant lighting, ambient lighting is usually soft and warm to create a comfortable dining experience.

In contrast, cooler tones are often used in retail stores where a bright, high-energy environment is desired.

Attention should be given to the color rendering index (CRI) while choosing lights for ambient lighting.

A high CRI means that the lights will accurately render colors, making merchandise look more appealing to customers.

Task lighting

Task lighting is a more focused form of lighting used to illuminate specific tasks or activities within a retail space.

This type of lighting is essential in areas where customers need additional light to make informed decisions, such as:

• Dressing rooms
• Makeup counters
• Areas displaying detailed products, like jewelry or electronics

When implemented correctly, it can enhance the customer experience by allowing them to view products in greater detail, potentially influencing purchasing decisions.

For example, in the case of car dealership lighting, task lighting is used to highlight the features and details of a specific car model, making it more appealing to potential buyers.

It's crucial to strike a balance — too harsh, and it can cause discomfort and glare; too soft, and it may be insufficient for the task at hand.

Similar to ambient lighting, the color rendering index (CRI) also plays a pivotal role in task lighting. It's important to choose lighting with high CRI values to ensure that the colors of your products are accurately represented. 

Accent lighting

Accent lighting is one of the most powerful types of lights used in retail stores. It's used to highlight specific areas, products, or architectural features within a retail space. Accent lighting is often three times as bright as ambient lighting to create a focus point that captures customers' attention.

Gas station lighting is a great example of the effective use of accent lighting. The bright, colorful lights on gas station canopies are designed to catch customers' attention from afar, effectively guiding them toward the store.

Accent lighting can be achieved using spotlights, track lights, or wall-mounted fixtures. It's crucial to choose the right type and placement of accent lighting to avoid overpowering or creating visual clutter in the store.

Properly implemented accent lighting draws attention to specific areas without making them feel too harsh or inaccessible.

Decorative lighting

As the name implies, decorative lighting is used to add aesthetic appeal to a retail store and can help reinforce a store's brand identity and create a distinct shopping atmosphere.

This could include fixtures such as chandeliers, pendant lights, or unique floor lamps, which contribute both to the overall lighting scheme and the store's visual design.

For example, a hospitality LED lighting supplier may use decorative lighting to create a luxurious and elegant ambiance in high-end hotels. In contrast, a fast-food chain may use colorful, playful lighting to convey a fun and casual dining experience.

When using decorative lighting, it's essential to consider the overall theme and style of the store and choose fixtures that complement rather than clash with the existing design elements.

Decorative lighting should also be used sparingly to avoid overwhelming the space or distracting customers from products.

Key takeaways

The importance of lighting in retail stores cannot be overstated. It plays a significant role in creating the right atmosphere, influencing customer perceptions, and ultimately impacting sales.

With the right lighting design, you can create an inviting and captivating environment that showcases your products in the best possible light.

If you are considering upgrading your retail locations to LED lighting, we will ensure that your retail lighting is not only energy-efficient but also optimally designed to enhance the customer experience and promote sales.

From highlighting specific products to creating dynamic displays, our expertise in retail lighting design can help you create a space that captivates and engages your customers.

Making the switch to LED lighting doesn’t need to be expensive. We will pay for 100 percent of the installation and maintenance cost (including bulbs) as part of a reasonable monthly fee. That enables you to have more control over cash flow.

A switch to the right lighting can improve both sales AND your bottom line.