3 Questions to Ask Before Changing Anything
Of all the changes and improvements you can make to your store, lighting is by far the simplest, most immediate, and least costly. If the thought of overhauling your lighting is a little daunting, take a few minutes to enlighten (see what I did there?) yourself on the best ways to use this very versatile store amenity. There are two basic areas that draw the attention of all people… we are in fact, pre-programmed to be drawn to these two areas. First, is movement and second in lighting. We will unpack lighting and explore how to leverage this to help drive traffic, the consumers eye and ultimately product sales.
I recently had a meeting in a retail setting and we were looking at their kitchen and bath area that was loaded with a tremendous volume of nickel, chrome, and oil rubbed bronze (and many similar). The lighting in the space was a combination of overhead fluorescent lights and some low wattage halogen spot lights on a few areas. The overall look and feel of the space was not ideal and this is why we were there. After listening to their goals and what how they desired for consumers to interact with their space, we recommended the simple solution first, to change out the over head lighting to compliment the fixtures (particularly the darker bronze tones and similar), combined with using the existing spot lights and changing those bulbs to high output LED. The effect was to double the spot lighting effects, draw consumers eyes to the feature areas and create an inviting warmth that was not present previously. It set the right mood and allowed the right hierarchy of sight that our client was looking for. This was all accomplished with a nominal investment and showing a nice uptick in sales in the area.
Any time you consider a change in design and how your space functions, you might begin by asking yourself a few basic questions.
IS MY FOCUS ON PEOPLE OR THINGS? Using twinkly lights to spread cheer in your store is a great idea if you’re a florist or a café owner. Using twinkly lights to spread cheer in your store is a terrible idea if you’re a paint store owner. If you have products you wish to highlight, focus on the products. Light up the products. Make sure the customers can see the details and colors of the products. Products that need focus and promotion need good lighting, usually bright white lighting. On the other hand, if your store specializes in products that cater to people’s emotions or you’re seeking a cozy atmosphere in which to connect with customers, you might consider a more relaxed mode of lighting.
WHAT MOOD DO I WANT TO EVOKE? Especially if your store is built on ambience (but even if it isn’t), lighting is important. Lighting is a primary way to build a mood. Consider a romantic candlelit restaurant. Or a warm, woodsy, firelit ski lodge. The mood these places set is very different from say, a blindingly sunny day at the beach. Or a Target store. Do you want to evoke a comfortable, cozy mood? An active, high energy mood? Somewhere in between? Lighting is the way to do that. If you quickly research light color and temperature, you will discover the best ways to use those dynamics of lighting to create the mood you desire.
DO I NEED LIGHTING IN MAJOR AREAS OR A FEW SMALLER ONES? Have you considered your actual lighting needs? Maybe you don’t need to tear out every fixture you have and start from scratch. Perhaps you just need to switch from fluorescent to halogen bulbs. Maybe you need to ditch all the LEDs you started with and try some incandescent bulbs. Maybe you don’t need to do away with anything at all, but you just need to add some accent lighting. Accent lighting is perfect for areas you want to draw customers toward – a new product, for example. Survey your actual light fixtures – maybe you need some new decorative fixtures and not really new lighting. If your store feels a little too dark and you need to brighten up some areas to do business, consider task lighting, which is used mainly in areas where people need to get work done – the checkout counter, a repair station, etc.
Lighting is the perfect way to change the look and feel of a store on a dime. Before making any radical decisions about your own lighting, visit the competition. What are they doing that you love? How are they using lighting to get the job done? The good news (and the bad news) is that customers will either feel welcomed into your store or turned off by your store. And while lighting might seem insignificant, it can make or break a customer’s impression of your store. It pays to get it right.
