Retail lighting that sells
Shop lighting creates atmosphere, draws attention to the goods and influences buying behaviour. Customers should be able to recognise the colours and details of products comfortably – without dark spots, glare or distracting contrasts.
We design, supply and install LED retail lighting – from general lighting of the sales floor through accent track spotlights on the goods to shop windows and back-of-house areas – with accurate colour rendering and costs that pay back in under a year.
payback period at the MAX hardware store (34 → 16 luminaires)
annual energy and maintenance savings in the same store
true-to-life colours on request – clothing, cosmetics, bakery, meat, fruit
projects in shops, showrooms and shopping centres
What shop lighting must do
In a shop, light has two jobs at once: to light the sales floor evenly so that customers feel comfortable and safe, and to highlight the goods so that they notice them. That is why we combine general lighting with accent lighting, and light colourful goods – clothing, cosmetics, unpackaged food – with light of a high colour rendering index.
True colours of the goods
Colour rendering index Ra > 80; for clothing, cosmetics and fresh food Ra > 90 or a special spectrum for bakery and meat.
Accent on products
Track spotlights with 24° to 60° beams direct the light onto shelves, the window display and promotional spots – guiding the customer through the shop.
Uniformity and atmosphere
No dark corners and no over-lit spots. Colour temperature to suit the range – warm for boutiques and cafés, neutral for food and drugstores.
Low costs, no maintenance
A shop is lit for its whole opening hours. LEDs with efficacy of up to 160 lm/W and a lifetime of 50,000 hours or more mean no more changing tubes from a ladder.
How much light a shop needs
EN 12464-1 sets the minimums for the sales area and checkouts. In practice shops are lit more brightly – supermarkets and DIY stores commonly at 750 to 1,000 lx – and the goods are highlighted with accent lighting several times more intense than the surroundings.
The values are indicative. We determine the exact value for your shop in the lighting calculation, based on the range, ceiling height and shelf layout.
| ILLUMINANCE | SHOP ZONE |
|---|---|
| 100 – 200 lx | stockroom and back-of-house |
| 300 lx | sales area – minimum according to the standard |
| 500 lx | checkouts, packing counters, shop windows |
| 750 – 1,000 lx | supermarkets, DIY stores, showrooms – common practice |
| 3 – 5× surroundings | accent lighting of goods and promotional spots |
Which luminaire for which shop
We choose the luminaire type by ceiling, height and range. For shops we usually start from these three groups – and mostly combine them.
Boutiques, food, showrooms
Track spotlights for accent
TOBY II in white or black, 90° tilt and 355° rotation, 24° / 40° / 60° optics, Ra > 90 and a special spectrum for food and clothing on request. TERRA – a linear track for supermarkets up to 12 m high.
Suspended and plasterboard ceilings
Panels and downlights for general lighting
Replacement for recessed fluorescent fittings in shopping-centre stores – often with half the number of luminaires. Downlights for pharmacies, salons and smaller premises.
Light to match opening hours and daylight
A shop is lit for its whole opening hours, but not everywhere equally. Lighting controls dim the luminaires by the windows and entrance according to daylight, switch scenes – full light during trading, subdued for restocking and cleaning, the window display lit even after closing – and in the back-of-house and stockrooms switch the light on only when someone moves.
- daylight dimming by the shop windows
- scenes: trading, restocking, window display after closing
- motion sensors in the stockroom and back-of-house
- DALI control of track and panel luminaires
- time schedule by opening hours
- emergency lighting of escape routes
Case study
MAX hardware store
The store was lit by 34 recessed 4 × 18 W fittings drawing around 100 W each. We replaced them with 16 LED panels 60 × 60 cm at 40 W in the suspended ceiling – total power dropped from 3,400 W to 640 W. Operating 5 days a week and 11 hours a day, the store saves €1,579 a year on energy and €50 on maintenance. The investment paid back in 0.8 years.
Before
- 34 recessed 4 × 18 W fittings
- 3,400 W, 9,724 kWh a year
- tubes changed every other week
Solution
- 16 LED panels 60 × 60 cm, 40 W
- 640 W, 1,830 kWh a year
- no maintenance, more light
“I no longer have to be up a ladder every other week changing tubes. The shop feels much brighter, even though the number of luminaires was cut in half.”
Karol Kašubjak, MAX hardware store
lower lighting power
payback period
luminaires
annual savings
savings over the luminaires’ lifetime
annual maintenance costs
How we work together
Site survey
We look at the shop, the range, the ceiling, the window display and the existing lighting.
DIALux calculation
General and accent lighting, number and layout of luminaires, colour temperature.
Quote with payback
Price, savings and return on investment in one document.
Installation outside trading hours
After closing or on a day off – the shop opens without restriction.
Warranty and service
3 to 5 years’ warranty depending on the luminaire type.
More retail projects
All references with LED panels →
Happy Pets89 TOBY track spotlightsSeveral pet shops with black aluminium 26/28 W track spotlights, 4,000 K – lighting matched to the corporate colours.
MONO, ROCA shopping centre, Košiceclothing store with a high ceilingIVA 150 W high-bay luminaires with aluminium reflector and 90° optics – wattage and number according to the lighting calculation.
Intersport – Avion, Aupark, Dunajská Stredathree stores, OMEGA LED panelsSports stores in shopping centres with 30 × 120 cm and 30 × 30 cm panels, 5,000 K.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to what shop owners ask us most often.
Which colour temperature should I choose for a shop?
It depends on the range. Warm white 3,000 K suits boutiques, cafés and furniture stores, neutral 4,000 K suits food, drugstores and pharmacies, cooler 5,000 K suits sports and electronics stores. For bakery, meat and fruit we supply track spotlights with a special spectrum that makes the goods stand out.
How many lux should a shop have?
EN 12464-1 requires at least 300 lx on the sales floor and 500 lx at checkouts. In practice larger shops are lit at 750 to 1,000 lx and goods are highlighted with accent lighting 3 to 5 times more intense than the surroundings.
What is the colour rendering index and why does it matter in a shop?
Ra tells you how faithfully light reproduces colours. At Ra > 80 colours look natural; at Ra > 90 customers see the shades of clothing, cosmetics and fresh food as they would in daylight. Cheap luminaires with a low Ra make goods look grey.
Is it enough to replace recessed fittings one for one?
You often need fewer. At the MAX hardware store 16 LED panels replaced 34 fittings and the shop feels brighter. A DIALux calculation shows how many luminaires, and in what layout, will meet the required illuminance.
Do we have to close for the installation?
No. We install after closing time, on a day off or section by section. Replacing a panel in a suspended ceiling takes minutes, and track spotlights clip onto the rail without tools.
How quickly does the investment pay back?
Shops are lit for long hours, so LED pays back fast – 0.8 years at the MAX hardware store. You will receive the exact payback for your shop in the quote, together with the savings calculation.
What warranty do you provide?
3 to 5 years on luminaires depending on type – TOBY II, TERRA, PYTA and LOTA 5 years, PRIUS 3 years.
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