Space Illumination will make or break your selling environment. The correct lighting will create an atmosphere that reflects your brand, showcases your products, and appeals to your target market – all helping to increase sales.
Here are the top five things to think about when illuminating your business:
1) Natural Light – get as much as possible into your space. Products and people look best in natural light and we positively respond to environments that have a lot of daylight.
2) Multiple Types of Artificial Light – no one likes a space with a monotone light level. It doesn’t motivate or stimulate occupant behavior. Instead, incorporate multiple types of light to create interest and intrigue and to direct/lead customers. For instance, select a nice ambient light for general use of the space, then highlight focal points with directed track lighting. Bring in subtle glows here and there with hidden cove lighting. And finally, add decorative lights for visual impact that works with your brand.
3) Light Levels – it’s important to highlight your key focal points and displays 3x brighter than surrounding areas. This will draw immediate attention to them, and when highlighted focal points are strategically located throughout the space, you can get customers to move effortlessly throughout your business. Remember, the feet follow the eyes. If you want a more intimate atmosphere for an evening event, be sure to put your lights on dimmers to create a new ambience (especially important for restaurants serving more active lunch crowds and more quiet dinner crowds).
4) Color Temp – select bulbs with similar color temperature – one that reflects the product lines in the best light, and is most acceptable to your target market. For instance, a cooler temperature of 4000K and greater is good for jewelry stores to make the diamonds and precious stones sparkle, where as a home furnishing store requires a warmer, more residential feel with a 2700K bulb (Kelvin temp is counter-intuitive, the lower the number, the warmer the light).
5) Lumen Output – it’s critical to get the light you need out of each bulb. Look for high lumen output bulbs, especially if you are trying to get light from a ceiling mounted fixture at 9’ or higher. One of the biggest mistakes we see in selling environments is going with an inexpensive lamp which doesn’t give off enough light. This is NOT a cost savings as you are costing yourself sales with poor space illumination. Determine the foot-candles you want in your space and the focal points that need highlighting, then select the bulbs that will provide the needed amount of illum
