B1 Lighting in Retail
Unit 16: Visual Merchandising
Lighting can have a significant impact on customer experience. It can draw customers into a store as well as guide them around and attract their attention to specific areas and products.
Lighting can be used to guide customers. Retailers may consider the key areas that all customers need to be aware of regardless of which products they buy. For example, in a clothing store fitting rooms and checkouts are essential stages in the purchasing process. Lighting can be used to draw attention to these parts of the store to create efficiency for customers.
Lighting can be used to create an ambience. This refers to the atmosphere or the mood of a physical environment. Using warm lighting can create a welcoming atmosphere where consumers feel comfortable staying for a long time. An example of a retailer that uses this strategy is Hollister where warm dim lighting is used to create an ambience. A different strategy is to use bright lighting. This is a common strategy in supermarkets. The benefit of this strategy is to allow customers to easily see products and read labelling which adds to the efficiency of their shopping experience.
Lighting can be used to accent. This means using lighting to draw attention to specific products. An example of accenting is to place lights behind products on shelves to attract the customers eyes. Another example would be to use brighter lighting in a specific area using spotlights to create a sense that those products are more compelling. This may be used to draw attention to a new product range or to sale items that the retailer wants to clear stock for.
