Light It Up - The best lighting type for your store

Lighting is so important to a store's atmosphere and can make or break the overall look and feel.  Humans feel safer in the light and so gravitate to well lit spaces, but harsh lighting can wreck the look and feel of your product.  So...  Which type of lighting will work best for you?

                            Photo by Flourish Design & Merchandising of KEYLIME                        Photo by Flourish Design & Merchandising of Bellies

Incandescent

 

Pros

·    Inexpensive at the outset with affordable fixtures

·    Easy to use, replacing lightbulbs is a breeze

·    Warm light

Cons

·    High energy cost, these are the least efficient bulbs

·    Getting harder to find and buy, some areas have even banned them

·    High heat, don't touch it while it's on!

·    Potential product damage

·    Low lifespan, they need ot be replaced often (high future cost)

Halogen

 

          Pros

·    Slightly more efficient than incandescent (only about 15% better)

·    Low cost at the outset

Cons

·    Still high energy consumption

·    High heat, again... ouch!

·    Potential product Dmage

·    Low lifespan, needs frequent replacement (high future cost)

·    Bulbs are difficult to replace as you can't touch them directly

Compact Fluorescent

 

Pros

·    Middle price point

·    Saves energy, more efficient than the previous two by quite a bit

·    Easy to use

·    Last longer, less frequent replacement

·    Fits into incandescent fixtures

Cons

·    Takes time to warm up, don't be late in the morning or your customers won't be able to see for a while!

·    Cool, unflattering light or pinkish light

·    Pricier than Incandescent and still need to be changed fairly regularly (in comparison to following options)

·    Unattractive appearance as some (including me) don't like the spiral

·    Not available in spot lights and non-dimmable

·    Unstable/flickering light

·    Contains some mercury

Ceramic Metal-Halide

 

Pros

·    High energy savings

·    Great colour quality

·    Fits halogen fixtures (if you were using halogen before, there's no need to replace the fixtures)

·    Long lifespan, low maintenance (low future cost)

·    Different sizes and shapes, including spot lights

Cons

·    Expensive at the outset (cost will be recouped over time)

LED

 

Pros

·    Highest energy savings

·    Can be purchased in dimmable options

·    Available in a variety of colour temperatures, including warm

·    Available in a variety of types, including spot lights

·    Attractive fixtures are available

·    Long lifespan, low maintenance (low future cost)

·    Lower operating temperatures, extremely low likelyhood of damage to your product from light or heat!

Cons

·    Expensive at the outset (cost will be recouped over time)

While most of the headings above link to wikipedia.org, I didn't use it as an info source, I promise!  (It is the easiest most consistent to link readers to for more inormation though.)

Here is a list of sources if you're looking for more information:

• The Philips Website
• 1000 Bulbs
• National Geographic|Green Living

If you have any more questions about lighting or retail design feel free to leave a comment, visit the Flourish Design & Merchandising Website, or send us an email.