So you’ve changed the flooring, arranged the furniture and put up the shelving. Your customers look up and recognise your name and logo and they stop to look in the window as they pass by … but they’re still passing by.
Why don’t they come in, browse and spend time in your lovely shop?
According to retail branding experts, lighting plays a big role in making your customers feel relaxed. The more relaxed they feel inside your shop, the longer they will spend there. And the longer they spend there, the more likely they are to buy.
The UK’s big stores – think DKNY, Selfridges and Harrod’s – all know and work with the psychological effect of good in-store lighting. It’s not just a matter of making your merchandise more visible: it’s a matter of creating atmosphere.
Creating mood and an atmospheric setting is crucial for your clientele to develop a ‘story’ in their minds about who you are, what you have to offer and, most importantly, how you make them feel.
So much for the big London retailers. What does this mean for our regional and local ones?
“We can’t afford to hire fancy lighting designers – much less install over-expensive lighting systems just for a feel-good factor. It’s as much as we can do to keep the doors open!”
It’s true that local high street retailers have a tough time of it in this era of online shopping. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to hire top lighting designers and state-of-the-art illumination. Now, there are so many lighting options on the market to suit smaller budgets and some highly-skilled electricians with experience in shop lighting. The very electrical experts who install your lights can also advise on how to create your unique, retail atmosphere to suit your brand.
This is how the right lighting in your shop can influence your bottom line:
- It emotionally connects your customers to your brand
- It can decrease your energy expenditure and actually increase your lighting in the right areas
- It improves the sense of space in your shop
- It encourages your customers to linger longer and to buy more
- It makes your customers want to come back for a repeat experience
- You can use accent lights to highlight specific showpieces and atmospheric light to establish the mood and feel of the space
What is the lighting like in your retail space right now? Is it light and airy, dark and moody or somewhere in between? Does it complement your brand and work for you, or is it putting off your customers and even your staff?
If you’re a lingerie retailer, you might want a soft lighting to set the mood of romance … if you’re selling sportswear, a dimly-lit space with lots of dark corners will do nothing for your customers’ browsing experience. Consider how the right lighting can improve your bottom line and invite a lighting expert or reputable electrician to come and offer you some tips.
It’s always helpful to have someone shed light on your brand …
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