Lighting in Retail: The Use Of The Track Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important factors to consider when considering opening a new store or renovating an existing business. Today, investors and shop managers rely more and more on a lighting designer.

Nam-Kyu Park and Cheryl A. Farr in the book: The Effects of Lighting on Consumers' Emotions and Behavioral Intentions in a Retail Environment: An Intercultural Comparison, state that:

"To be successful in a global economy, lighting designers, like all other interior designers, must consider human factors relating to the context, influences and preferences of consumers from different cultures"

But why is lighting such an important element in the design of a shop?

The answer lies in the fact that light, like the objects on display, represents one of the factors that most of all condition the attitude of the potential customer. A well-designed lighting project will make a difference and improve the shopping experience. As a result, there will be an increase in the number of sales.

The Lighting Designer analysis

The designer's job is always to find something new and specific that fits perfectly with the type of shop. The professional must take into account the needs of the beneficiaries of the commercial area, both employees and buyers. There is no standard solution, but the designer must identify the various critical issues such as the balance between light and shadow. In choosing the devices suitable for obtaining the desired effect, the colour and chromatic yield of the light source must be considered, and the various factors that affect possible glare must necessarily be avoided.

We need to think about giving uniqueness to space, enhancing the colours and materials of the goods, inviting customers to enter, staying inside for a long time and completing a purchase.

Some research has shown that the customer lets himself be accompanied by the light. With this you can create real paths inside the store. So the goal for a lighting designer is to create a specific path that leads the customer to the sales area. A path that begins outside with the shop windows and ends with the sale.

The choice of suitable products

In the choice of devices, lighting designers increasingly suggest the use of track spotlights which, thanks to their versatility, allow you to easily obtain the desired scenarios. In addition to being easy to use, they are also a stylish choice. In fact, there are now several models on the market.

Track lights: features and benefits

This type of product is a system that can adapt to any size, height or shape of a room. They integrate easily. Track systems allow you to use light following the style of a brand, dosing the lighting in a diversified way even within a single room. Versatility means being able to customize solutions with cost efficiency, which in turn stimulates store managers to be creative.

This type of lighting has several advantages:

First, the possibility of distributing the light evenly in the environment thanks to the possibility of being oriented at an angle ranging from 90 ° to 270 ° degrees depending on the shape and position.

The possibility of changing the position of the spotlight is also very useful. Sliding the spotlight along the guide manually by changing the position of action is one of the main features and advantages of a track installation.

In the modern world, economic savings are not to be underestimated at all. The led technology tracks have now replaced the old devices, eliminating about 90% of consumption. Despite this, the yield is superior to traditional bulbs.

Another advantage to keeping in mind is the possibility of improving lighting in very high rooms. The track lighting can be installed at an optimal height even in very high environments thanks to the possibility of having the tracks suspended and held by cables.

The use of track lights in some areas of the shops

All the stores have different areas and differentiating the lighting for each area is essential but at the same time, you want to maintain a certain uniqueness within the entire commercial space. The final solution and the right solution is therefore not the result of a single and general choice, but the result of the superimposition of different levels of light. This is easily achieved with a track installation. Track lighting works through both the ceiling and wall installation of a metal guide on which the individual spotlights are mounted. With the choice of individual spotlights, the lighting designer manages to obtain the desired results by using different types in different areas.

Once the overall measurements of the space to be illuminated have been taken and the required level of lighting established, the system can be designed and the type of products to be installed can be established.

Sometimes it is possible to use recessed headlights to ensure a cleaner aesthetic. But often the space in the false ceiling, if present, is insufficient and does not allow the use of any recessed lighting product. In these cases, therefore, the installation of track systems is preferable and will obviate any possible problem.

Certainly, this option is more visible than recessed spotlights, but it proves, however, as mentioned above, to be more versatile.

Among the various sections of a shop, the windows are certainly the business card. Light has the function of attracting people who are outside the store. Shop windows need to communicate with passers-by, talk to them, arouse interest, invite and encourage people to buy. We all know that the first impression is what matters and how the light is used is decisive.

The tracks can be easily reconfigured every time the furniture in the showcase is changed.

In terms of positioning, it is advisable to install a track line about 15 cm from the glass of the window and direct the light beam of the luminaires towards the inside of the store, so as not to dazzle passers-by.

Another important parameter to consider is the installation height, which affects the optics (beam angle) to be used. The goal of the lighting is to focus the light well on the goods on display, avoiding the annoying reflection. For this reason, the higher the installation altitude, the tighter the corners must be.

To support and integrate the system, lateral sources can also be provided, mounted on the shoulders of the showcases. In this case, however, the lighting bodies must be kept in low voltage to ensure maximum safety and to be able to use very small spotlights even with intense flows.

The internal displays often used to highlight the novelties proposed by the store or offers, are another area where the track lights are useful. This is because, like the windows, the displays changes according to the season or the needs of the market. The lighting must always be in tune with the rest of the store and bearing in mind that special tables are often used to show the new merchandise and that these are not always oriented or positioned in the same way, we can conclude that thanks to the flexibility of the tracklights, we will always be able to get the right lighting.

Common Feauters of a LED Track Light for the best using in a retail environment

Colour Temperature 3000k – 5000k (depends on the products sold)
3-phase LED
Rotatable and tiltable
Glare control
Colour Render Index RA>90
Luminaire Luminous Flux 2900-4400lm
Beam Angle (different angles depends on the ceiling height)