Shopping, light and contrast

Shopping, light and contrast

By Peter Kort, Reinier Den Boer, Judith Wolting-van Hout, Marc Lambooij

As the way that we shop continues to evolve, lighting has an increasingly important role to play in creating an environment that both displays merchandise at its best and provides a mood that chimes with the expectations and desires of shoppers. We explain how to achieve these results.

Retail journeys today are dynamic and multi-dimensional. Often, entrance to the store is not through a physical door but via a smartphone! However, shoppers, whether they are online or in a shopping center, still make a journey before any purchasing decision. This shopping journey usually consists of three phases: attraction, engagement and conversion, and is mostly subconscious. So-called impulse buying is a clear example. Emotions play a key role in our decision making and are strongly linked to our identity. Does our identity match the store identity? Are we attracted by the brand and do we identify with it? Is the right experience offered in store? Lighting conditions in fashion shops must attract consumers’ attention and allow them to accurately recognize products (Rea) . It is the quality of light that will let merchandise stand out and that presents it in an attractive way. At the same time, the experience of the light in a store guides customers and sets the mood.