How Lighting Tells a Story in Retail

Writing a Brand’s Story

When lighting designers start working on a lighting scheme, they begin telling the physical story of a brand. When the store comes to life, must it be easy-going, paired back and casual; bold, modern and cutting edge; or must it be dark, mysterious and intimate – lighting plays a crucial role in bringing store concepts to life and setting the foundation for the customer’s experience.

Lighting is essential in creating an inviting atmosphere. It illuminates walkways, highlights product displays, illustrates a fire safety route with emergency lighting for customer safety and sets the overall mood. It transforms empty spaces into immersive environments that foster emotional connections that strengthen brand and customer bonds.

Humans are naturally phototropic, meaning our eyes are instinctively drawn to follow light. As well as guiding customers through the store, a well-designed lighting scheme can significantly enhance the overall customer experience and help to create a memorable shopping experience.

Warm, inviting light can make customers feel comfortable and relaxed, while dynamic, colourful lighting can generate excitement and energy. This emotional connection contributes to increased customer engagement, satisfaction and loyalty. Hotel Chocolat chooses bright, bold lighting in their retail stores to accentuate products and engage customers and use minimal fittings and pendants in the café area to relax the customers after their shopping experience and get them to sit down and enjoy themselves.

Enhancing Customer Experience

Each retail space is unique and must be carefully considered to deliver optimum results. Consider the two different stories below. The light, warm and calm feel of this Astrid & Miyu piercing studio contrasts the darker, bold, bright fast-paced feel of Skechers.

Strategically placed lighting draws customers’ attention to key areas of the store, influencing purchasing decisions. Correctly focused lights create a pleasant shopping environment. They make products look more appealing by highlighting texture and colour. This can lead to longer store visits, higher engagement, and ultimately, increased sales.

In the same way that a book blurb offers an alluring glimpse into the story within, a window display, expertly lit, serves as the teaser trailer for a store. It hints at the experience, the atmosphere, and the story that lies within, all without saying a word.

In the Cribbs Causeway Phase Eight store window, our lighting designers used track-mounted Titan G on both the ceiling and floor. By using a narrow beam from both above and below, the mannequins were carefully illuminated to show the detail of the clothing and fabric. This also helps create a story of sophistication, reflecting the Phase Eight brand image.

Colour Temperatures

Colour temperatures play a significant role in setting the mood and enhancing the visual appeal of a retail space. Warm white light (around 2700–3000 K) can create a cosy and intimate atmosphere, making customers feel more comfortable and relaxed. On the other hand, cool white light (around 4000–5000 K) can provide a bright and modern feel, ideal for showcasing products in a clean and contemporary setting. Different saturations of light can also impact the appearance of various items (such as food) by enhancing their look to make them more appealing to customers. By carefully selecting the appropriate colour temperature, we help retailers create the desired ambience and highlight their products effectively.

Customising Lighting for Each Space

Every retail space is unique, and lighting schemes should be tailored to meet specific needs. Factors such as the type of products being sold, the target audience, and the overall design aesthetic should be considered when planning the lighting layout. Our Lighting designers always consider the brightness, visibility and atmosphere they are trying to create.

Lighting plays an important part in reinforcing a brand’s identity and consistent lighting design across all store locations will help create a cohesive brand image.

Certain types of lighting can make a space look bigger, while others create a more intimate environment.

Use lighting levels to create different zones in shops and restaurants. A counter in a café might use brighter light for a faster pace, while seating areas use warmer light for a more relaxed space.

In hospitality settings, lighting is key to creating the desired ambience. Whether it’s a cosy, relaxed atmosphere for a romantic dinner or a bright, lively environment for a family gathering, the right lighting can set the tone. Dimmer switches, Bluetooth controls such as Casambi, warm lighting, and decorative fixtures all contribute to the feel of the space.

Recent projects with 23.5 degrees for their Starbucks stores have included a unique and customised feature pendant. Along with this focal lighting feature, they requested a mixture of downlights and spotlights, which help create a more sophisticated ambience. Their new stores demonstrate how changing lighting design can enhance the overall brand story. In this case, newer lighting concepts lift the overall aesthetic, creating a more luxurious feel. Each Starbucks is completely different – so we can provide exactly what they want for each store to tell its own story.

1. Ambient Lighting

Ambient or general lighting serves as the main lighting source in stores, setting the overall tone of the room. This type of lighting is commonly provided by track lights, downlights, or linear lights. Ambient lighting plays a crucial role in creating a comfortable level of brightness that allows people to move around without difficulty.

The colour temperature of ambient lighting should be around 2700–3000K to create a warm and inviting atmosphere, making customers feel welcome and at ease as they navigate through the store.

Ceiling lights, wall sconces, and floor lamps are typical fixtures used for ambient lighting. Additionally, natural light sources such as windows and skylights can contribute to the ambient light, enhancing the space with natural brightness – bringing the outside, in.

Shoplight Ambient Lighting

• NORT
• NORT GS
• Colt Bio
• Steeler Line

Throughout the END. store in Manchester, our lighting designers used a contrast of lighting to create the desired mood in the store. This section of the store shows the bold use of Steeler Line across the ceiling panels. The blend of lighting with the natural light, open space and bold building materials, creates a beautifully lit area for customers to browse freely and enhances the END. story of innovation and contemporary fashion.

2. Task Lighting

Task lighting is essential for areas that require more focused illumination, such as tills, kitchens, and changing rooms. This type of lighting provides directed light in specific areas to aid in various activities, ensuring that tasks can be performed efficiently and safely.

The ideal colour temperature for task lighting is cooler than ambient lighting, around 3000–4000K, depending on the overall store temperature and the task. It provides a clear and crisp light that enhances visibility and precision. Additionally, the beam angle assists in telling the story, directing light and drawing the customer’s attention to the right place.

Shoplight Task Lighting

• Raider Mini
• NORT GS
• Piston
• Sun L Track

In the changing room of this Glasgow Mint Velvet store, NORT GS with wide beams lights up each space, enabling customers to see while the curtain is closed. An LED outlines the mirror, showing customers where to look when trying on clothes. The eye-catching feature creates an oncoming light, so customers experience a flattering light source when trying on their clothes.

3. Display Lighting

Display lighting is crucial for highlighting mannequins and focusing on specific products within a retail space. Retailers can use spotlights or track lighting to highlight new arrivals or special offers. This creates focal points that attract shoppers’ attention. Targeted lighting enhances the visual appeal of displays. It guides customers to key products, encouraging them to explore and make purchases. Effective display lighting can significantly make products more enticing and the store more inviting.

Shoplight Display Lighting

• NORT
• NORT GS
• Raider Bio
• Titan Nano D

Our biopolymer NORT luminaire is a great all-around lighting product. Its placement and beam angle indicate which type of lighting it is being used for. In this Didsbury GAIL’s Bakery, a narrow beam NORT focused on the menus, brightly displaying the menu for customers to read with ease.

4. Accent Lighting

Accent lighting draws the eye to specific products and captures the customer’s attention on key items within a retail space. It is particularly effective for window displays, where it can create an eye-catching focal point that entices passersby to enter the store. This type of lighting is often used for show, adding a finishing touch that enhances overall aesthetics. By adding drama and style to the space, accent lighting brings attention to specific features and creates a visually appealing environment.

The colour temperature of accent lighting can vary depending on the desired effect, allowing for flexibility in creating the perfect ambience to showcase products.

Shoplight Accent Lighting

• Origin 23
• Warrior Suspended
• Dome Pendant
• LED Strip

This Hampstead Russell & Bromley store uses LED strips, showcasing how accent lighting can make a big difference. LED strips placed at the front and back of each shelf ensure the entire product beneath is subtly lit. A frosted diffuser softens the overpowering LED light, adding just enough drama to help tell the story of luxury. LED is great because it can be flexible and essentially placed anywhere. It enables the ability to highlight specific areas without it being on show; like telling a story without any spoilers. It’s bright, effective and adaptable.

Immersive experiences

Lighting design is a powerful storytelling tool in retail and hospitality design. It can create an immersive environment, foster emotional connections, and enhance the customer journey through the store. From ensuring safety and highlighting products to creating the perfect ambience and promoting sustainability, a well-thought-out lighting scheme can impact the overall success of a retail space.

Our lighting designers consider the unique needs of each environment. They strategically design lighting schemes. These solutions are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. This strengthens the connection people have with the brand.

Header Image, Photo Credit – Guy Archard

Hotel Chocolat Image, Photo Credit – Joseph Raynor