A scene that sells

Sight might be just one of our five senses – but in sealing a deal, it is surely one of the most important. Set the scene in your showroom to help your customer decide to spend up big.

In some sales settings light is definitely your friend – think car sales showrooms, lit up like the sun, 24-hours a day. For this level of illumination at a cost effective price, LED globes are an increasingly popular alternative to halogen. They have a long lifespan, are highly durable, and start at full brightness. Different beam widths allow flexible brightness, illuminating the space overall but also adding highlights. Challenges associated with LED lighting at this level include fade over time, which may be subtle and difficult to identify, but will reduce the impact of the light; a tendency toward a blue tone if not properly installed and thermal-managed; and balancing brightness that is associated with a classy product against the neon-bright of a cheap retail store.

Sparkling bright light in a car yard is great – but you don’t want that fearful luminosity in a boutique or, worse still, a swimwear store. Daylight works – the comfort associated with daylight lighting has been shown to increase retail sales. Use large windows, clerestories (high windows) and skylights where possible. If you need to simulate daylight artificially, opt for globes that are white in tone rather than the usual yellow of a globe. The colour temperature of a globe is measured on the Kelvin scale – a higher Kelvin rating refers to a light that is more blue-white, whilst a lower one is more yellow. Incorporate flexibility so you can adapt your artificial lighting to complement sources of natural light. Use highlights to accentuate stock, service desks, and passageways to change rooms. Within change rooms, soften the lighting, and use sources that illuminate from around the mirror rather than overhead, which has been shown to produce unflattering shadows on a customer, making them less likely to buy.

 In some commercial environments, you really do want to lower the tone! The ambience of a darker room with spotlit zones can work for a sales environment showcasing high-end products, such as jewellery or art and home accessories. Keep the ambient light bright enough to be safe and warm, and check your lighting contrasts to be sure people can adapt readily to the changes. Use puck lights or recessed strips to place the focus on each piece, uninterrupted by shadows or presentation stands. Be sure to provide adequate lighting in zones where people will be talking product specifics or – better still – reaching for their credit cards. Low lighting is also appropriate in restaurants and bars. For a start, it makes people look good – and often thinner – and watching someone chew down on a bread roll is slightly less irksome in half-light. Be realistic though – people do want to see what they are eating, and do need to read the menu. Higher price venue? Remember that your diners are probably older and have weaker sight, so if you really want to depend on the candlelight, stick a torch in your waiter’s pocket.

For commercially astute advice on setting a scene that sells, get in touch with Zappit Electrical.