It is amazing, to those of us who have worked in the sector for years, how little the ‘Lighting Designer’ exponents of today, understand about the importance of lighting in Retail. Not only do they fail to understand the fundamentals of the ‘lighting of goods’ for the purpose of selling them and the achieving of profits for the client, they fail to understand what it is that makes a particular luminaire suitable for lighting in Retail.

 

Before the arrival of LED lighting (en masse), the control of lighting in the sales space was fully understood by those of us with long term experience and training in the field. I was responsible for the successful lighting of many high street brands for over 35 years.

 

Of course, there is a compelling argument for the uptake of LED technology in the area, because there is always a need to maximise the economy of the installed lighting, both in the quantity of luminaires employed and in the individual luminaire efficiency. Unfortunately, if you do not understand the rules that need to be applied - for the sales formula to work - there is no way that one will simply happen across a solution by installing an arbitrary arrangement of luminaires of an equivalent total lumen package to the conventional system preceding it.

 

The nature of the LED source, and I mean any LED source, is such that it needs to be integrated into a very carefully designed luminaire when utilised in Retail. If it is not, its effect and/or benefits will be completely undone.

 

The best solutions require both scientific and artistic understanding of both the space and the light sources.

 

These days, there is not only the reasonable pressure to optimise the energy/lumen efficiency of the applied lighting systems, but there is an utterly unrealistic idea that this can be achieved without expert advice, which - Yes - costs money.

 

The use of a modern, speedy, trendy, fun loving, design practice, is a massive mistake. It will cost the client an enormous amount, in both poor advice and long term energy bills, as well as causing a loss of sales of untold magnitude.

 

When we were employed in the relighting of our Corporate portfolio at refurbishment, the client experienced an improved turnover of up to 300% for a period of one year and 200% over two years, swallowing the costs of refurbishments within weeks. This resulted from the combination of a new experience in the designed environment, accompanied by well applied lighting, which by its careful construct, drew the customer in and kept their attention. Perhaps, most importantly, the lighting was never to the detriment of the potential sale, which is far from the case these days. 

 

When I look at the installations being implemented today, I can only witness poor design application and the potential for further damage to turnover, during this period of internet pressured sales.

 

There is so much positive potential within the current ranges of luminaires, from a number of different manufacturers and suppliers with different sources, but it is being woefully devalued by the unskilled ‘Lighting Designers' and/or 'Consultants’, employed.