Importance of Quality Retail Store Lighting

A big part of your customer-facing business success depends on your choice of retail lighting.

It’s not just about making sure people can see your products, though that is important. The best commercial lighting systems do more than illuminate. They create an atmosphere that appeals to your targeted demographic, encourages browsing and supports your brand identity.

In fact, choosing the right store lighting means understanding how light impacts psychology and mood in showrooms and stores. Lucky for you, the pros at TCP are obsessed with the ways people respond to different types of light, making us your go-to resource for selecting retail store lighting that adds brilliance to your boutique, grocery, discount outlet or other brick-and-mortar shop.

Let’s dive into the bottom-line benefits of switching to LED lights, our pro tips for designing effective retail store lighting and some suggestions for commercial LED lighting options that suit various retail spaces by size, aesthetic and more.

Benefits of Quality Retail Lighting

With our wide array of high-quality retail systems of LED illumination, it’s easy to see how TCP levels up your business. Opting for LEDs saves you money on utility bills, saves the planet with less energy use and saves your employees time replacing bulbs with longer bulb lifespans.

Here are three more important benefits that your business will enjoy when you choose top-quality TCP commercial LED lighting:

1. Increased Brand Visibility

Shoppers can’t support your business if they can’t find it. But if you make increasing business visibility with outdoor lighting a priority, people will recognize your brand instantly as they drive or walk by — and more of them will walk through the door looking to spend money. From wall-washing floodlights to overhead lights that flood walkways with color, our exterior commercial lighting fixtures help you increase brand visibility in creative ways.

2. A More Inviting Atmosphere

A well-lit retail space welcomes shoppers in and encourages them to stay, upping the odds that they’ll buy something. Whether it’s the pendants in your storefront, the warm glow in your showroom or the bespoke ceiling panels that create a cohesive brand message, we have unique lighting ideas to enhance your business with an inviting and alluring atmosphere.

3. Better Safety for Customers and Employees

When is retail lighting more than just a collection of light bulbs? When it enhances the safety and health of your employees and customers! From emergency exit lights to LED commercial lighting with built-in emergency backup batteries to PurEssentials lighting that kills germs, TCP brings you multitasking retail lighting options that create healthier, safer experiences for shoppers and workers.

How to Design Retail Store Lighting

We love that one of the biggest trends for LED commercial lighting in 2023 is “human-centric lighting.” That means embracing retail lighting design principles that support the health and well-being of the people who will work and shop in the space. To achieve retail lighting that fulfills this goal while keeping expenses in check, you’ll need:

Ambient, Accent and Task Lighting

Relying solely on overhead retail store lighting leaves your business largely in the dark. You’ll end up with annoying shadows, dim corners and product displays obscured by glare. A layered approach that amplifies overhead lights with accent and task lighting achieves more even ambient light and focused illumination exactly where you want it. Whether you adjust track lighting to aim at specific products, use spotlights for colorful effects or embrace the stylish look of our Accents Series pendants in commercial spaces, choosing a variety of store lighting options works best.

The Right Color Temperature and CRI

Your customers need to see the colors and details of your products very clearly. If a paint sample, sweater or sofa looks one color in the store and a different color at home, you’ll end up with a huge headache in your returns department. This is where the color temperature and color rendering index (CRI) of your commercial lighting system comes into play. Warm color temps create a welcoming glow, but they can skew object colors with red or yellow tints. Cooler color temps tend to reflect truer object colors, but they can seem harsh or sterile. Our latest Anew LED Lighting, the incandescent alternative, delivers the full spectrum of light without glare or blue light spikes, keeps colors true to themselves and works in most existing interior commercial lighting fixtures.

Energy Efficient Commercial Lighting: LED vs CFL

Long-term savings are always a business priority. Now that California has banned CFL light bulbs and the federal government is nixing incandescents, switching to energy-efficient LED commercial lighting makes better business sense than ever.

How to Choose Commercial Lighting Systems

Your retail store lighting has to do more than illuminate the space. Shopping is often an emotional experience, so it’s important to understand how light impacts psychology and mood in retail settings. The best commercial lighting systems can direct shoppers to certain areas, improve the appeal of your products and generate feelings of comfort, trust and positivity among your clientele.

As you design the retail lighting for your store, remember that there’s no one commercial lighting system that works for every type of business. Keep these store aspects in mind while choosing the right store lighting for your unique retail establishment:

Type of Store: Standalone vs Shopping Center

If you’re located in a strip mall or shopping center, the property manager likely supplies the emergency lighting for your building — but standalone boutiques need to make sure all entrances and exits are illuminated every day and will stay lit up if the power goes out. And unless yours is a new build, you may need to investigate the dos and don’ts of retrofit lighting that will suit your brand and your budget.

Type of Retail: Store Lighting vs Restaurant Lighting vs Grocery Lighting

Large, open spaces like warehouses and grocery stores need vastly different retail lighting than boutiques and other smaller businesses. A gymnasium or supermarket couldn’t function without high lumen commercial lighting systems designed for lightweight versatility and reduced glare in high ceiling installations. Restaurants and smaller retail stores, on the other hand, benefit from options like dimmable recessed lighting, stylish pendant lights and other interior commercial lighting fixtures.

Type of Aesthetic: Boutique vs Discount Outlet

Your brand aesthetic should influence the retail lighting you choose. If you’re illuminating a big-box store or a discount outlet, vibrant overhead lights with a beam angle that diminishes glare and shadows may be all you need. But if yours is a boutique business, you’ll need to consider more carefully the lighting aesthetics and types of lighting you choose. Mid century modern commercial lighting fixtures create a sleek, timeless look while rustic fixtures bring a more relaxed vibe to retail store lighting. From the vintage-inspired feel of Edison bulbs to the glamorous effect of a shimmering chandelier, use your store lighting to enhance a cohesive brand image.

Type of Application: Interior vs Exterior Commercial Lighting

Illuminating the interior of your business is important, but don’t forget about those exterior commercial lighting fixtures! Our outdoor lights are designed to withstand extreme weather, install easily and emit a wide beam angle for maximum coverage. Whether you need area lights for garage and parking lot safety or landscape lighting options for a brighter first impression, customers and employees alike will appreciate your attention to outdoor retail lighting.

Commercial Lighting LED Options From TCP

Check out all the commercial lighting LED options for retail applications from TCP. Our commitment to innovation and decades of experience designing excellent retail lighting bring the highest value to your commercial lighting systems. Contact us today to get started customizing the retail store lighting design that takes your brand to the next level!