Have you ever been in a store that's so bright and blinding that it feels like you're being interrogated? Or one that's so dimly lit that you can hardly read the price tags? It may seem like a small thing, but something like this can ruin the shopping experience and that's why nailing your lighting game is crucial. 

Why Lighting Matters in Retail 

Display lighting and general ambiance play a huge role in retail environments. This is why grocery stores are well lit—between 4000 and 5000 Kelvin—while a bookstore likely uses softer light diffusion and warm hues. As I mentioned previously, it’s all very intentional. This is because good lighting can boost your sales by up to 40%. That's right, just by tweaking your showroom floor lights, you could potentially see your profit margins rise. But it's not just about the money (though that's a pretty sweet perk). It's about creating an atmosphere that makes your customers feel good and want to stick around. 

The Golden Rules  

Layering 

There are a few tricks that most retailers use to influence shoppers that you may not even notice (and if you work in a retail environment, you might want to take notes here).

Imagine your store lighting like a cake—you want to utilize different layers to make things more interesting. Your three layers should include:  

By combining these, you create depth and visual interest that guides your customers through the store. 

Create Contrast 

People, much like moths, are drawn to light, so use this to your advantage. Create areas of contrast in your space. Make the products you want to showcase pop by giving them brighter surroundings. For example, in a grocery store, you might want to make the floral section five to ten times brighter than the surrounding areas to showcase the florals and give your store an elevated feel. According to studies, grocery stores that use this tip see a 30% increase in floral sales compared to their competitors. 

Color Temperature 

Ever noticed how some lights make you feel cozy while others make you feel like you're in a hospital? That's color temperature at work. For most retail spaces, you want to aim for a warm, inviting feel. Think 3500K to 4000K for that perfect balance.  

And if you’re not in the grocery business, don’t worry—we'll dive into a few other retail spaces and their corresponding color temperatures in a few paragraphs. 

CRI  

CRI stands for Color Rendering Index, and it's really important for making your products look their best. CRI is shown on a scale of 0-100 and it indicates the faithful reproduction of an object’s color when under that light source versus when viewed under a natural light source. In this measurement, 100 is shown as the closest to natural or sunlight quality. High CRI lighting (70+ for groceries, even higher for clothing stores) ensures that colors appear true and vibrant. After all, no one wants to buy a "red" shirt only to find out it's actually orange when they get home. 

Lighting Different Retail Spaces 

Different types of stores need different approaches to lighting. Sometimes this change is so subtle that the consumer doesn’t even notice it until it’s pointed out. For example, I’m sure you’ve recognized that bookstores tend to use a cozy color temperature to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. But did you know that this isn’t just to make you feel more comfortable?  

Bookstores like Barnes and Nobel actually use color temperatures below 3000K and dim their lights so that it’s harder to read in their store. This urges the customer to make a purchase rather than to settle in with a borrowed book.  

Or take a library for example—a place where staying and settling in for a study session is more than just welcome, it’s expected. The lights in a traditional library tend to be between 3000 and 4000K, allowing for comfort and focus. Bookstores also like to install adjustable track lighting to highlight featured books or author displays—something that proves challenging for other retail spaces with drop ceilings or warehouse set ups.  

Inversely, grocery stores tend to be more straightforward with their lighting as a means of providing a comfortable yet efficient shopping experience. The lights shouldn’t be so bright that you want to rush out of there as fast as you can, but they should be bright enough to see the price tags. Using bright, high-CRI lighting in produce and floral sections makes those flowers look fresh and those fruits and veggies seem appetizing.  

However, not every store wants to utilize dim or cozy lighting. One example of a store with brilliantly bright light is a Jewely store, which tend to use bright track/task lighting to make their produces sparkle and show off their best features.  

The Future of Retail Lighting 

It’s been years since I’ve worked on the front end of the retail landscape but as LED technology evolves, so does the use of lighting in retail marketing. Smart LED systems are becoming more popular, allowing store owners to adjust lighting based on time of day, foot traffic, and the season. 

Energy efficiency is also a big deal. LED lighting not only saves on electricity bills but also aligns with eco-friendly practices that more and more customers are looking for. In fact, when Millennials and Gen Z believe that a brand cares about its impact on people and the planet, they are 27% more likely to purchase from that brand than their competitors. For them, brand loyalty goes beyond product quality or price—it extends to the brand’s ethical stance on environmental and social issues. 

Remember, good lighting isn't just about how bright it can be—it's about creating an experience. It's about guiding your customers, making your products look their best, and creating an atmosphere that keeps shoppers coming back.