The eyes offer the human brain about 80% of the sensory information, which means that the things we see have a strong impact on the decisions we make. Light influences the perception we have about a certain place and can be a weighty factor in deciding whether or not to enter a store.
In addition, the light creates a certain atmosphere and leaves its mark on the mood of customers who visit a certain commercial area. All these aspects have a direct influence on the sales and the image of the respective store, therefore, on its commercial success among the public. Modern lighting consumes less energy, is easier to maintain and also generates less heat. These are important features of operating costs for commercial spaces, and a carefully designed lighting system can lead to significant cost savings.
There are a few choices to consider for your commercial lighting. Basically, store lighting can be classified into 4 primary types: general/ ambient lighting, work lighting, accent lighting and decorative lighting. There are also a multitude of options for lighting sources, such as incandescent, LED or compact fluorescent.
GENERAL / AMBIENT LIGHTING
General / ambient lighting is the main source of light for commercial spaces. The purpose of this type of lighting is to ensure that the store is not too dark and customers feel comfortable to move around.
WORK LIGHTING
Work lighting is more focused, used in general to perform certain tasks. In a commercial area, it can be used at the store entry, in the checkout area, or in the test booths.
ACCENT LIGHTING
Accent lighting is used to highlight specific displays and decors in the store, as well as certain products, such as seasonal products or products listed for sale. It is often used in shop windows, in order to add visual emphasis and attract customers.
DECORATIVE LIGHTING
Decorative lighting aims to add sophistication and beauty to the store. In this case, the design of the lighting fixtures can be equally important. Decorative lighting typically comes from chandeliers, intricate wall sconces or custom lighting fixtures.
Commercial lighting often includes more of these lighting options, like LED canopy lights, combined to create the desired effects. Most of them work with LED lighting systems that you must definitely consider for their numerous benefits:
- They contributes to the reduction of energy consumption, which leads to lower costs for electricity consumption – an important factor, if we take into account the size of shopping areas and spaces to be lit
- LEDs represent a sustainable lighting method
- They have a very long lifespan
- They provide good quality of the light, translated into high visual comfort
- LEDs are much simpler and safer to use, because they do not contain mercury or other toxic substances and do not heat up as much as incandescent bulbs
- Adequate commercial LED lights will help your visitors navigate the store and find areas of interest faster
- They improve the quality of customer interaction with the products and services offered in your store.