Are pastel coloured uplights the key to retail success?

A new study is attempting to find the perfect light to use in a retail environment.

Lighting in Globus has, for the most part, followed traditional patterns.

The same combination of coloured lights also increased customer visits to the revamped section of the store by 15 per cent when compared to an area lit with standard store lighting.

Philips Lighting produced the study in conjunction with major German grocer, Globus, with the expressed aim of finding lighting that increased sales.

‘As a retailer, to stay ahead of the competition, you have to create a multi-sensory environment and a ‘wow-factor’ in your stores,’ commented Norbert Scheller, store manager at the Globus supermarket in Saarbrücken where the experiment took place.

The researchers spent two months testing different lighting conditions in the supermarket. Three settings were tested, including the store’s uniform overhead lighting, regular spotlights and a combination of spotlights with pastel coloured uplights.

Retailers have traditionally lit stores using uniform, white, overhead lighting. The research showed that the 58 spotlights used in the experiment strengthened the appearance of products by increasing contrast.

Adding coloured uplighting, aimed at the ceiling,  also helped to differentiate the promotional zone, making it more visible.

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