Lighting

Well-designed lighting systems can have a major impact on retail sales. They are the most effective means of highlighting merchandise and can influence shoppers to move from one department to another.

Good lighting highlights product features by giving texture and depth. It also strengthens colour. The three key elements of lighting design are the following:

• levels of brightness (measured in foot candles)
• "colour" of light (measured in Kelvin temperature)
• ability of light sources to render colours naturally (measured by the colour rendering index- CRI)

Lighting needs to match the intended image of the store and to fit the product line. For example, fashion boutiques prefer bright pools of more natural light on displays with lower light levels in aisles to add energy to the display areas. Discount stores prefer more uniform, cooler light to match the corporate image of low-cost, no frills.

Lighting systems can be combinations of fluorescent, incandescent and halogen.