Add bells and whistles when possible such as
fancy decorative groupings
for marking cash desks or
interactive LED walls for
visual interest, she suggests. Specific lighting strategies depend on the type of
merchandise, the type of
retailer, and local codes.
Code-driven trends
Both Israel and Forbes-Gray say that energy
codes and energy efficiency influence lighting trends today. The California Energy
Commission updated its Title 24 Energy
Efficiency Standards. Effective in January
2014, the revisions introduced requirements for adaptive lighting—lighting
that automatically dims or shuts off when
it’s not needed. Once optional, adaptive
lighting is now required for both interiors
and exteriors and even in parking garages
within the state.
“Codes are making people adopt more
efficient sources of light quicker than they
would normally,” says Israel. “They demand
energy reduction through dimming of
lights in California now, and it will migrate
to the rest of the country.”
Because retailers will be required to have
dimmable light sources (in California for
now), they won’t be able to use the ceramic
metal halides favored in retail in the past—
those aren’t dimmable. LEDs meet that
need and are attractive financially and
last longer, he says.
Code-mandated reductions in power
density allowances also have driven lighting advancements, especially in LEDs, says
Forbes-Gray. She cites LEDs’ improvements
over previous technologies such as HIDs
and fluorescents: efficiency, improved color
rendering, more accurate lamp-to-lamp
consistency, and the ability to control and
tune the color temperature of light sources.
Ron Harwood, CEO and creative director at Illuminating Concepts in Farmington
Hills, Mich., says LEDs can be used in
unique and creative ways to light stores, creating a competitive edge and boosting sales.
“Not only is the creative
use of light affecting point
of sale, it’s also great for
moving customers around a
store,” says Harwood. “Our
natural instincts are to go
towards the light, and what-
ever is illuminated attracts
our attention.”
Harvesting some of that light from the
sun also saves money.
Daylighting limitations
Energy management can have a down side,
says Harwood. Daylight can take the focus
off your merchandise. It doesn’t always
come in the right intensity, in the correct
place, or when you want it.
Some ambient light from nature works,
but don’t depend on it, Harwood says. If
you do, then you’re assuming a warm sunrise, a sunny glow during the day, and a
blue-white radiance going from daylight to
night, every day. Nature may not cooperate.
“In this scenario, resort wear should
be bought at noon and evening gowns at
night,” says Har wood.
Using sunlight alone requires a great
deal of work, says Paul Gregory, principal
at Focus Lighting in New York. On a bright
At Simons in Anjou, Quebec,
bringing lighting closer to the product
reduces the light level needed from
a distance, such as the ceiling.
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Lighting design by Lightbrigade
Architectural Lighting Design