Often overlooked, proper lighting is a key component of the micro market retail experience. With extensive design backgrounds, Steve Orlando and Troy Geis, cofounders at Fixturelite, the leading supplier of micro market retail displays, equipment and design tools, have understood the impact of lighting and have shared their knowledge with clients for years.
Fixturelite is offering a free consultation and executive summary to operators on how to maximize lighting in micro markets.
According to Zen Merchandiser, an online retail consultant, lighting done the right way:
- Attracts and invites customers into the environment.
- Guides customers through the store.
- Draws their attention to specific products and allows for a better examination and appreciation.
- Creates an atmosphere that helps customers relax, get comfortable or excited.
- Affects moods, behaviors (people tend to follow bright paths, brightness focuses attention and aids orientation) and buying habits.
- Communicates the fact that you have a well-established merchandising strategy and that you want to offer them the best experience.
- Communicates about the quality of your products.
- Increases the chances of a sale.
“Effective lighting in a micro market will draw the customer’s eye to the product,” said Orlando. “We have invested a significant amount of time and effort on how to maximize that critical retail component.
“The biggest mistake that operators make is centered around the relationship between the product and the cabinet,” He continued. “That is something that we talk about extensively in the free consultation. We see a lot of misplaced lighting and another common problem is related to the quantity of lighting – either overdoing it or not providing enough lighting.
Orlando added that too often the emphasis is on the light fixture itself. “The end user should know that there is lighting, but it should be designed in such a way that it does not detract from the product,” he said. “A subtle balance is required.
The free consultation and executive summary also cover:
- Lighting temperature.
- Environmental lighting – going beyond lighting for merchandising.
- How backgrounds effect lighting.
Geis noted that major retailers have lighting down to a science.
“There are some fundamental principles that enhance the shopper’s experience,” he said. “This is just another example of taking on a retail mindset – another way that operator’s who work with Fixturelite consistently enjoy a competitive advantage.”
