With the Retail Design Expo 2017 just around the corner, our team of lighting design experts - led by our very own in-house guru, the Lighting Doctor - are getting in to gear to offer plenty of advice on all aspects of lighting retail sites.

In this article, the Lighting Doctor says: Good–quality lighting can provide companies with a competitive edge, so make sure your stores shine!

As long-time readers know, I’m a big fan of maximising energy savings and keeping costs down with green lighting. But, as a commercial lighting design specialist, I also know that ‘look and feel’ is just as important as energy efficiency.

Low energy bills are all well and good, but they don’t mean much if your lighting is off-putting to customers or it ruins the look of your merchandise! Our research has shown that well-designed lighting can increase sales by up to 264% and it would be foolish to miss out on this.

In order to create an energy-efficient lighting installation that draws customers in and showcases products, I urge retailers to consider these factors:

1. Find the right lamp. LEDs can provide great commercial low-energy lighting, but they aren’t right for all applications and need to be good quality. Stress-test your supplier to ensure they’re reputable and their products are an appropriate choice.

2. Colour temperature of lighting is crucial for retailers. Make sure you’ve thought about the ambience that is right for your unique store and products – do you want it to be warm? Cool? Somewhere in-between?

3. Look for a Colour Rendering Index (CRI) of 80+, but test it out as well – you don’t want customers returning items because the colours and aesthetics look different at home! It’s important that a light source accurately reproduces colours – blues needs to look blue and reds needs to look red!

4. Be creative. A good shop lighting designer can develop pleasing contrasts to highlight merchandise and keep a store looking fresh and exciting. Lamps should be a similar temperature, with colour filters that complement one another.

5. Consider your customers. Shop lighting needs to flatter merchandise, but also needs to welcome clientele. Think about colour temperature, brightness and direction. Being blinded is not likely to put people in the mood to purchase!

My commercial lighting experience has demonstrated that retail lighting is all about creating an atmosphere that welcomes customers and encourages them to spend time in your store. If they come away with a headache from flashing, mismatching, or dazzlingly bright lights, they probably won’t return and you’ve lost revenue.

Luckily, as long as you think about these considerations, you’ll be sure to make light work of choosing a new installation!

Want to find out more? Book your free, no obligation session with the Lighting Doctor, or come and chat to the team atStand D36. We’d love to find out more about your lighting challenges.