3 Most Common Retail Lighting Mistakes

          Lighting your retail space goes far beyond simply making sure your store is bright enough. Unlike a home, each and every space in a retail environment is meant to serve a specific purpose, one that should ultimately help your business grow. Appropriate use of layering is key, and allows you to get the most out of each section of your space. However there are several pitfalls that you need to avoid in order to achieve this. 

1. Poorly Placed Beam Angles 

          Beam angles are often an overlooked aspect of lighting design, with many people simply positioning their lights away from shining directly in their customer’s faces. While this is an important consideration to make, it is not the only one. the section of your space you’re trying to illuminate should dictate how you angle your lighting. 

          For example in a product heavy space utilizing uplighting with a beam angle facing the product and away from the customer will accentuate the product, and depending on the color tone and CRI of your bulb, can even make your products more vivid to the customer. Downlighting is also used for accent lighting, however it does present a greater chance of having the light beam directly into the shopper’s face. 

2. Inconsistent Lighting and Fixtures. 

          Uniformity is also incredibly important in order to create a neat and tidy aesthetic. If you have a hodgepodge of random fixtures and lights, with the sole purpose of lighting up your space, your store will immediately start to look disorganized, regardless of how you’ve placed your items. 

          The easiest way to avoid this is to utilize the same types of bulbs and fixtures for each specific section of the store. If for example you have a window display on both sides of your store entrance, it would make sense to maintain the fundamental design principles on both sides. Also keeping a sense of symmetry helps draw your customer’s eyes to the products you are trying to highlight. 

3. Lack of Flow 

           When potential customer’s walk into your store, you want to create a visual journey for them to follow. Something that will guide them from point A to point B and so on. This will allow you to create something beyond the usual browsing experience shoppers are used to. 

          It also allows you to decide which order shoppers should see your products. If your main product for example has optional accessories, you can place them a little bit further in your store, and utilize beam angles that tilt between your main product and the complimentary ones. This is often the case with shoes and apparel shops in which a certain pair of shoes is part of an outfit. 

           A consistent flow of lighting throughout your store also adds a level of comfort and familiarity for your returning customers who are enamoured with your products. Creating a soothing environment puts your potential customers in a relaxed state, thus making them more likely to purchase from you.