Looking to ‘light up’ your profits? EuroShop 2017 will play host to some 200 international exhibitors from the lighting sector, and is certain to be a major draw for store owners, architects, lighting designers and shop fitters.
As online retail sales grow, so increased pressure is being placed on bricks-and-mortar operators to deliver a unique ‘experience’ in-store. In part, this is driven by the push towards digital customer services, but for a more holistic effect, retailers are increasingly turning to next-generation lighting providers to create atmosphere.
Allied to this, the rise of LED lighting solutions is also enabling stores to achieve greater impact while also saving on costs.
An example of this is the work that specialist lighting provider Nualight has delivered for cash & carry chain Hyperama, which has helped boost both reliability and energy usage at the group. Utilising its LED-based Orion system, the wholesaler was able to achieve a 62% energy saving, as well as reduce its carbon footprint by two tonnes of carbon per year.
Harnessing Creativity
The next generation of lighting solutions, which will be displayed at EuroShop, puts the power very much into the hands of the retailer, with custom lighting solutions controlled by in-house systems – or even as something as simple as a smartphone app – gaining traction.
Such systems are capable of adding hitherto unseen flexibility and dynamism to a store’s overall light orchestration. Electronic control systems can orchestrate a multitude of natural and artificial light sources into a flexible lighting solution that can be adapted to changing retail cycles and seasonal changes.
Likewise, digital signage and the merging of other light sources such as lit shelving or display screens are also gaining importance in this context.
Customer First
Take for example a new initiative rolled out by Carrefour in a hypermarket in the city of Lille, in late 2015. The Euralille store replaced its in-house fluorescent lighting with an LED solution that was able to transmit data via pulses to users smartphones, which in turn directed customers to selected promotions.
Using the ‘Promo C-ou’ (‘Where Is The Special Offer’) app, users were then presented with a series of arrows guiding them to the right shelf. According to Carrefour, the app was used around 50 to 100 times a day in the store. “We want to facilitate the shoppers’ experience and be more convivial,” a Carrefour spokesperson told Reuters.
Human Centric Lighting
The Human Centric Lighting Society, a US-based not for profit group chaired by Stan Walerczyk of consultancy Lighting Wizards, believes that lighting plays a significant role in affecting consumers’ moods: a science known as biophilia.
As a result, planning an effective lighting system should take into account the needs of humans in that particular space. Nowhere is this more important than in the retail sector.
According to an article penned by the society, The Importance of Nature in Retail Spaces, retailers that incorporate more natural lighting, and daylight, into their stores, can reap the benefits of a happier consumer base, that is all the more likely to spend more. ‘
By embracing the notion that daylighting and greenery can boost revenue in the retail industry, developers and store owners have the opportunity to achieve optimal profit margins that are economically, environmentally, and socially savvy,’ the report states.
The society’s findings are increasingly being incorporated into store operators’, lighting designers’ and architects’ plannning strategies, bringing clear advantages for shoppers, shop assistants and companies. Increasing staff well-being and minimising fatigue helps improve customer service in a very tangible way.
Lighting Designers Zone At EuroShop
The changeover to LED technology has also given the luminaire design industry an enormous boost. Designers and manufacturers now enjoy endless freedom to ‘mould’ light into any desired shape or, conversely, to integrate light into any given form - as indoor sculptures, design objects or an integral part of corporate architecture.
Similarly, architects are increasingly using minimalist designs that appear as pure light, rather than light fittings.
Interior designers and store designers, on the other hand, opt for bigger, eye-catching designs which (whether installed alone or in groups) enhance the desired concept, thereby deepening its emotional impact with shoppers.
Lighting Designers Zone
For those interested in next-generation lighting solutions, a must-attend aspect of EuroShop is the Lighting Designers’ Zone, which is located in Hall 11.
In the wake of digitisation and the increasing complexity of modern store lighting, demand for support and consulting services in retail has grown significantly. Many store owners are faced with major decisions concerning unresolved issues related to LED lighting and the desire to make assured investment.
At the Lighting Designers’ Zone, independent light designers specialising in the retail sector will be available to inform attendees about current benchmark-setting projects and lighting design options and/or to advise them on individual lighting solutions.
For further information, visit www.euroshop-tradefair.com.
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