Nowadays, the development of virtual stores has cast a certain shadow on the actual ones by their friendly environment and the possibility to shop with little effort. Thus, visual merchandising has started to gain importance and is seen as a way to counteract to the situation. Physical stores still have the advantage of being closer to customers and this plus needs to be exploited at a higher level.
Retailers must bear in mind the fact that with little budget great things can be achieved. Every action that has an impact on the customer’s choice is valuable and this is the reason why we see so many brands struggling to come up with various ways to improve their strategy of visual merchandising. Knowing that almost 90% of purchase decisions are made at the point of sale should bring more importance to the way in which we deal with this situation. It is a psychological fact that a friendly environment helps us increase sales, and this is the reason why so many appreciate the attitude towards sales, not only the product itself. The market is full of similar products, why shouldn’t I go elsewhere if I receive a better treatment!
The Specifics of Retail Lighting
A source full of potential in all the attempts that are connected to the way in which we actually do sales is lightning. It might seem intriguing, but a proper distribution of light can focus on the value of our collection of clothes, jewelry and so on. In imitative arts, there is a technique called chiaroscuro that is used with this particular reason of creating impact. Chiaroscuro consists in a strong contrast between light and dark that can achieve a sense of volume and thus modeling the perception towards three-dimensional objects. It is said that the higher the contrast, the greater the impact. This principle can be easily adjusted for displaying jewelry because some of them have the advantage of creating glimpse, thus increasing the displays potential of being spectacular.
After making an interesting comparison between art and the making of a display, let us list the advantages of light in creating impact. An effective light can attract and guide customers through our store, draw attention to specific products, allow our clients examine the products efficiently, offer an easy maintenance. At the same time, lightning can communicate the merchandising strategy, the type of customers targeted by store and the quality of the products.
Retail Lighting Options Available
Knowing the advantages, let us now focus on a few types of lightning that can be used in creating showcases and some principles about their functioning. The most common are: HID (High Intensity Discharge), LED (Light Emitting Diode), CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lightning), Halogen and fluorescent. The intensity of a certain light is given by the color “emanated”, and it is measured in Kelvin degrees. A light that has an intensity of less than 3000 K is “warm” and has a reddish color.
Between 3400 K and 4500 K we have a neutral light and the color that is generated is white. A light with more than 4500 K is “cool” and the specific color is blue. In a store, for example, we can classify the lightning accordingly: ambient lightning (the background light), architecture lightning, accent lightning (focused light), task lightning (for specific areas in the store), focal point lightning, perimeter lightning (illumination along walls).
How do we use all the things mentioned above so as to produce delightful displays for our jewelry? According to different types of lightning, there are some things you need to be aware of before setting the displays:
Fluorescent light creates a natural light; they provide it but shouldn’t be used to illuminate (for diamonds it is not advisable because it won’t let them sparkle sufficiently). The best use would be inside the showcase. Warning: in contrast with another source of light that exists above the showcase, it can alter the aspect of the jewelry; once taken out of the case they might have a different color.
Halogen: the incorporated reflector makes it efficient for fixtures. The best use would be over-case. Warning: halogen light generates a lot of heat and, over time, its light gets altered.
Light Emitting Diodes: are small and easy to place. They create no radiant heat but can’t be used for bigger showcases. The best advice would be to use it in showcases with a ceiling that isn’t more than 10 inches.
These are only a few tips for creating a proper distribution of light, one that wouldn’t alter the aspect of our jewelry, but improves it. Every time we must bear in mind the fact that an astonishing lightning is an effective investment and needs to be paid attention for further implementation.
Leave A Comment