Lighting in Design Q3 2018

Ed Space

P roving that a change in lighting can save retailers money, and at the same time increase sales, would make a very persuasive argument. Numerous studies have been conducted to substantiate this, among them a 21-week field research project by Dutch supermarket group, Plus, and Philips Lighting in 2010. Using different LED-based lighting scenarios, the study was designed to mea- sure the impact of light on customer buying behaviour. CQM was enlisted as an external market research agency along with the Retail Design Research Lab of the PHL University of Hasselt to evaluate the return on investment for retailers from implementing LED lighting solutions. A tracking system was installed in shoppers’ grocery baskets to trace shopping habits such as the time spent in certain parts of the supermarket, their routes around the store and parts of the shop they were drawn to. AmbiScene-controlled lighting was fitted on the one side of the store, while the other side of the supermarket was lit with traditional lighting and different lighting scenarios were applied over alternating days. The results showed that the introduction of the lighting system increased basket sales, with the average sales per customer up by 1.93 percent related to the dynamic lighting installation. Further analysis of the results also showed that customers spent more time in the areas lit with warmer light settings than those with cooler ones. Lighting manufacturer Zumtobel claims a fashion retailer in Germany saw its sales go up by around 12 percent compared to another local store after it installed a new lighting scheme specially designed to appeal to the personality profile of its target customers. Another study, conducted by independent lighting researcher Dr Colette Knight, found that objects can appear more attractive under a light source that is slightly outside the traditional colour range for white light. Participants in the study showed a strong preference for lights which increase the saturation of reds, blues and pinks and make whites appear ‘cleaner’. Knight’s report concluded: “With the maturity of LED lighting, there is now growing focus to look beyond mimicking the light properties of conventional sources. ... By cleverly designing the light spectrum, it is possible to generate various light impressions and optimise the colour appear- ance of objects.” What is clear from the above – although scientifically proving the results is virtu- ally impossible – is that lighting in a retail environment does matter. While some retailers view it as just one of the numerous aspects to their stores, others, such as the two contrasting retail projects we present in this issue, see lighting for what it is (and can be); an aspect that plays a vital role in bringing the whole design of the store together, and attracting/retaining customers. Editor: Gregg Cocking (lighting@crown.co.za) • Advertising manager: Carin Hannay (carinh@crown.co.za) Layout: Adel JvR Bothma • Circulation: Karen Smith Cover: Embassy Towers. Courtesy GLH Architects/Inrastructure Photos. Published by Crown Publications cc PO Box 140, Bedfordview, 2008 - Tel: +27 (0)11 622 4770 Fax: +27 (0)11 615 6108 - Website: www.crown.co.za ABC 2 nd quarter: 3 568 • Printed by: Tandym Print All issues of Lighting in Design can be viewed on our website. Visit www.lightingindesignmagazine.co.za Gregg

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LiD Q3 - 2018