•   How can lighting be made an integral part of the store experience? 
•   How does it impact purchase decisions? 
•   How does one plan the right lighting solution for a store project? 
•   How to find the right lighting supplier for a store? 

The above are all fundamental questions in the context of retail lighting; and while some of them have obvious answers, many others have evolving/multiple answers. But one thing is indisputable - lighting is a critical part of the retail experience and is something that most store architects/designers focus on extensively. As Vishal Kheradia, Interior  Architect, Vishal Kheradia & Associates, says, setting a fitting context to the conversation on lighting, “Lighting is extremely important in retail, for any category; but it is especially so for the garments and jewellery categories. As a matter of fact, we just had a meeting with a retail client wherein there was an extensive discussion on lighting alone - the kind of lux levels needed, how we could use lighting to uplift the product, plan the right play of lighting that is in sync with the flow of natural light at any time of the day, etc…” he adds, “Today retailers do understand the importance of lighting, especially after they see the impact of lighting in their store.”

So what is the biggest challenge that store designers/architects face when it comes to lighting? Well, different challenges for different situations/projects, but according to Vishal, it is “getting the required quantity of the same batch of lighting fixtures with the same LED from the same supplier within a given timeline. That is the biggest challenge”. As he points out, “Sometimes, just before a store opening, we might need to add more lights and then it’s extremely difficult to get the same stock within that short time span, because suppliers generally don’t stock that many.” He adds, talking about Indian lighting suppliers, “But I must say, there are some very good lighting suppliers today in India who are doing a very good job, who are reliable and who have very good infrastructure. I think the dependency on Chinese products has really come down now.” 

So is there any checklist or criteria to evaluate and select a lighting supplier as a partner? Vishal answers,“Well, since I have many specifications when it comes to lighting products, the lighting suppliers have to be able to offer these. But the most important factor is that they should be manufacturers, as I no longer rely on imports due to the lack of guarantee regarding timely delivery of product. Time line is very critical in retail.”

Vishal is also very clear while sharing some tips for the benefit of retailers when it comes to planning their in-store lighting, “There are at least three tiers of lighting required in a store, depending on the product category and its visibility requirement. The first is in terms of the product visibility on the shelf/rack, the second is about product visibility on the counter - it’s very important to ensure that the product looks the same - whether on the rack or on the counter, so the lux levels of lighting in both the places have to be planned accordingly. It’s also important to ensure there is a distance of at least 3 feet between the light source and the product. The third aspect is trial room lighting. Here again, it’s very important to ensure that the product visibility that the customer experiences is very similar to the one in other locations inside the store,  including the counter and the racks. The other very critical aspect is balancing between the available natural light and artificial light for effective merchandise presentation.”  

He elaborates further, “There are so many aspects that can define the quality of light - right from the merchandise category to the store layout and the availability of natural light, depending on what direction the store faces. So lighting design has to take all these into account. It’s a science.” Well, that’s certainly a fact. And for retailers, store designers and architects, the key question is about how well they can integrate this science with the art of designing a store experience.”    

Pics Courtesy: Vishal Kheradia & Associates