By: N Jayalakshmi
Last updated : February 20, 2023 3:52 pm
In this Spotlight interaction, presented in association with lighting solutions company Gardler, Sarbajit Dhar, Principal Designer, Look Design Hub, talks about the challenge of convincing local retailers on the need to invest in the right lighting solution for their store, and about the difference between those who manufacture lighting and those who trade in them…
“You can have a wonderfully designed store, but if the products are not visible or highlighted well, then it’s of no use, and that’s where lighting plays such a crucial role,” says Sarbajit Dhar, Principal Designer, of Kolkata based design house, Look Design Hub, echoing the words of most retail designers. After all, as most of them would agree, lighting can make or break a store.
But the question is, do their clients - the retailers - understand this? And, are they convinced enough to invest in the right lighting solution? Well, from the series of conversations that Retail4Growth has had with architects and store designers, the answer is both a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’. While national or corporate bands understand the value of lighting and do invest in the right lighting solution and also invest in R&D on how lighting impacts customer behaviour, many local and regional retailers do need more persuasion in terms of using the right lighting for their stores.
Sarbajit, however, adds that things are slowly changing with rising awareness. “We also try to explain to them the importance of lighting and why it is essential to highlight their products and store ambience.”
The other challenge that Sarbajit points out is finding local manufacturers of lighting products. “While in Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore there are enough number of lighting manufacturers, in Kolkata it’s difficult to find one. There are only traders of lighting products. But there is a big difference between traders and manufacturers. Manufacturers can customise and supply what we need, but traders cannot do that. When we look for a lighting solution for our project, we always prefer a supplier who manufactures his own lighting.”
https://www.gardlerlighting.com/
Pictures of the Babylon restaurant designed by Look Design Hub, courtesy Look Design Hub.