No manufacturer knows the benefits of adjustable display lighting for retail applications like Phantom Lighting does.
In fact, our owner Tom Kretzschmar actually invented the first adjustable display lighting system!
The main objective of any retail setting is to sell products, while the primary objective of the consumer is to make an educated and informed purchase. When products of any kind are illuminated properly on the shelf, customers will be drawn to them like moths to a flame. A well-lit retail display fixture is crucial to the current consumer market, as more and more stores opt for illuminated shelving and adjustable display lighting to showcase their products.
Before we take a deep dive into why shelf lighting is ideal for retail applications, let’s take a look at some of the other components of a robust retail lighting system:
General, or ambient lighting – Before a retailer can even consider decorative and task lighting additions to their space, they need enough ambient lighting to provide adequate visibility. Ambient fixtures are usually mounted to or within the ceiling and are designed to output a high amount of illumination for people to see by easily. Some designers recommend addressing ambient lighting last, as once a retailer has determined where the accent and task fixtures will go, they will know what spots need the most ambient light, and adjustable display lighting does the trick.
Task lighting – Task lighting is called such because it facilitates any number of processes instead of just making the entire space brighter. In the retail world, task lighting is typically used to direct a customer to important areas, such as dressing rooms and checkout areas. Designers make this happen by installing task lights that are brighter than the surrounding ambient lighting, and by placing them in interesting arrangements that are more likely to capture attention.
Accent lighting – Accent lighting is also a concentrated source of illumination, but is usually intended for product displays and even individual products. For example, a shop may set up a display near the entrance when a certain product is getting a lot of attention in the media. Accent lighting is used to focus illumination on this display, creating an island of light that enhances the color and shape of the product. Accent lighting can also be effective in window displays and used to draw people into the store. Using adjustable display lighting makes this much easier.
Decorative lighting – Like the term suggests, decorative lighting is solely intended for aesthetic use, and can take on a myriad of forms. Decorative fixtures are normally found in luxury retail spaces, and here they can greatly emphasize the exclusive or sophisticated feel that a luxury retail shop is aiming for.
Why Adjustable Display Lighting is Perfect for Retail Applications
Adjustable display lighting can provide many display options to a shop owner, giving them the power to show off products in any way they wish. However, such versatility is not available with cheap, low quality fixtures, so a shop owner will need to consider a high-end illumination system an investment. But it is an investment that will pay immediate dividends, as it will help sell additional products and improve the shop’s appearance and reputation.
When customers walk into a store with illuminated shelving, the products on display immediately become more inviting. Labels become easier to read, packaging colors become more bold and appealing, and the layout of the products on display becomes much more intentional. Glass containers, from bottles of wine to makeup products, appear to glow from within, while paper and fabric packaging have no detail unnoticed. Whether the overall ambiance of the shop is bright and youthful or dark and elegant, illuminated shelving brings products into a new light.
There is a distinct aesthetic that a lot of top shops aim for, and adjustable retail shelf lights can go a long way in producing it. The contemporary, visually bold approach to product displays is a tried and true method of getting attention for a product display, and this aesthetic can be built with an LED illumination system that is highly flexible as well.
Merchandise and displays are always changing – your employees can change the layout of your retail display at any time! There’s no electrical expertise required with our proprietary adjustable shelf lighting systems once they’re installed in a fixed shelving unit.
Phantom’s Elite and Ultra are two of the very few systems on the market that can be repositioned after installation. Normally, open wiring makes it impossible for a shop owner to reposition the fixture safely, but the Elite and Ultra systems can be designed with buss bar supports and brass contact pieces instead of a traditional open wiring system, and such a system can deliver power to the fixtures no matter how the display is arranged.
Our brass contact pads eliminate the need for store owners to hire an electrician every time they wish to change the layout of the shelves. Retail layouts can be repositioned any number of times without damaging either the cabinetry or the lighting system. In only a matter of minutes, a shop owner with no technical ability or tools can produce a fresh look, and this will keep customers interested and coming back again and again.
Add even more sparkle to your jewelry display with the right LED lighting!
Linear strips provide an ideal source of jewelry display lighting. They offer a concealed physical presence combined with evenly distributed illumination that is excellent for showcasing collections of jewelry laid out on pedestals or cloth backings. Using low voltage cabinet lighting strips in jewelry display cases with mirrored back planes is generally not advised, though, because the mirror will reflect an image of the fixture and reflective glare back into the eyes and distract attention away from the merchandise.
Cabinet strip lights also provide jewelry displays with a versatility of lamping options and light levels that can be fine-tuned to fully accent the visual qualities of both the type and substance of jewelry on display. Different bulbs create different types of light, and the choice of which type of lamp to install in your linear strip depends greatly on the size of your showcase, the type of jewelry you are displaying, and the color of the background you use.
Jewelry display lights require heavy glare shielding that will angle the light toward the merchandise and reflect only enough light back into the eyes to make it sparkle. The remainder of the light should evenly “wash” over the surface of metal and gemstones, showcasing contours, cuts, and any engravings over the surface. The more three-dimensional its appearance is, the more valuable a piece of jewelry appears to the eye.
Too much accent lighting will flatten the appearance of gold, diamonds, and silver pieces by casting startling “white” spots on their surfaces. Too little light, on the other hand, will fail to add the necessary sparkle that is essential to high-ticket merchandising.
Jewelry comes in a huge range of designs and hues, so yellow gold and gems that are red, orange or yellow look best under warm fixtures, while silver and gems like diamonds, sapphires and emeralds will shine under neutral or slightly cool fixtures. Both of our display lighting systems come in a variety of Kelvin color temperatures so that you can achieve the optimal lighting for any jewels on display.
When you’re ready to enhance your retail displays with Phantom’s adjustable shelf lighting systems, give us a call toll-free at 800-863-1184 or request a quote using our online form to get started. Our manufacturing facility is located in Texas, but our products can be found in homes and businesses across the country and even around the world!