“As architects, we understand the retailer’s requirements, the lux levels required for displayed products, the use of ambient light to create the right mood for a store, the use of accent light to bring balance and highlight the products, etc. Using the right ambient lighting with just a few accents is key to retail shop lighting,” says Satish Sharma, Co-founder & Principal Architect at Mumbai based Studio AIRD, while sharing his views on the role of lighting in the retail experience. 

Indeed, architects and store designers, who in a way are the bridge between consumers and retail experience, are unanimous in their view on the importance of lighting in-store design. They all come with diverse insights with regard to the dynamics of store lighting, based on their observations and experience with retail clients.

Satish Sharma shares his take on the following aspects of store lighting:

Discernible trends in the market 

Lighting design plays a very important role in organised retail. With the advent of LED lights, the unorganised sector is also willing to take suggestions from lighting design experts as it helps them reduce their Opex and deliver a better ambience in their stores.

Most common myths and misconceptions when it comes to retail lighting 

Generally, retailers believe generic flat light is good and are not giving more attention to product specific lighting with the right colour temperature and CRI.

Critical parameters while deciding on the quality of lighting 

1. Light beam angle

2. Height of the light source from the product.

3. Size and texture of the products/surfaces to be highlighted.

4. Color temperature and CRI according to the displayed product.

5. Different light options at Fitting rooms for checking outfits in different light temperatures ( daylight/evening/night)

Common challenges in arriving at the right lighting for a store

• Different brightness levels to avoid monotonous lighting in the store
• Use of different beam angles for highlighting different surfaces
• Using complementary light fixtures, which enhance the lighting along with the concept

Role of the right lighting partner 

The right lighting partner understands the specific requirements of a light type for different format stores and doesn't need hand holding. They have software/tools to calculate Lux levels and generate lux rendering plans and suggest efficient/appropriate light planning for the store, which saves both time and cost (capex/opex).

Checklist for evaluating and finding  the right lighting vendor/partner

• Credibility of the products offered
• Credibility of the vendor in terms of performance

A case study 

When we were creating a new concept for the Diamond Jewellery Experience Centre for Candere, a Kalyan Jewellers Company, we felt that the lighting design was a crucial part of the concept development, as the products which we had to highlight were tiny and we wanted to emphasise their cut, design and craftsmanship through precise lighting design.

We used narrow beam light fixtures with a colour temperature of 5000K to highlight diamond jewellery and created a vibrant store mood by balancing the colour scheme of the store with the ambient light of wider beams punctuated with accent lights to highlight visuals.

Link: https://www.gardlerlighting.com/