Proper lighting and positioning is a major factor in enhancing your brand image, building a customer base and increasing the sales of your retail store. A well-designed store is bound to generate higher sales than the one with an ordinary interior.

Shoppers these days are more knowledgeable and opinionated than ever before. There is a need for retailers to equip themselves with the right skills and tools to attract their attention and make shopping a memorable experience for them.

Upgrading the lights and positioning is one of the easiest ways to restore and enhance your store’s appeal, thereby making an impact on the sales.

The Retail Welcome

Your store’s exteriors and lighting systems are vital. This is the place making way to the store entrance. If your store is inside a shopping mall, then you might spend more on ads, signage and billboards, or else lighting should be the focus.

The proper outdoor lighting. Mostly, we tend to focus on name boards which are aesthetically designed with spotlights. But outside area should never be ignored.

The entrance of the store makes an emotional connection with a shopper. That’s where you showcase your products. Proper lighting and correct positioning can make all the difference here. Even an ordinary product can be made to look good when the lighting is spot on. This persuades the people who don’t intend to shop in the first place, enter your store.

Good lighting designers would strongly suggest using a variety of lighting intensities, colors, fixtures and placements to craft an impressive entrance.

Product Lighting

Right lighting at various areas within a retail store increases shoppers’ engagement with the products. Different lighting caters to different products which could be dissimilar in shape, size, texture, pattern and color.

The lighting needs to be in tune with the products that your brand sells, so at the time of testing, customers can closely experience the appearance and usefulness of the products they want to purchase. For example in a clothing store, the color of lighting often makes a garment look different in terms of shade and tone.

Lighting for walls and decorative stuff in your store should never take precedence over product lighting. You are there to sell your products and not murals or ceilings. A retail store for interior items is an exception.

Light boxes can enhance the appearance of your top products and special items. Since shoppers are naturally drawn to striking and unique displays, these items gain instant visibility. This makes it a great opportunity to showcase the best sellers, higher margin items, or even items you simply wish to sell faster.

Lighting the Fitting Rooms

Proper illumination within the fitting or trial rooms ensures an easy selection and product check for shoppers.

Make sure that the colors, quality, and fit are clearly visible. Smart lighting with careful use of mirrors and cabinets makes a product look better when tried on.

Customer Experience is Paramount – Some Tips

Right lighting and positioning is only one of the parameters among others that define sales strategies but mostly, it is overlooked by retailers.

Store owners and retailers must find out a way to measure if the store lighting is making an impact to their footfalls and sales. The results would certainly convince them revive the entire store from lighting perspective.

The media room is perhaps the most lived-in area of your home.  Whether you are watching TV or reading a book, the lighting should be comfortable, energy-efficient and beautifying.  Tune in to a picture-perfect setting with lighting tips from Capitol Lighting’s professional consultants.

1. Track and Recessed:  General or ambient lighting is a must in any room, but it is especially important in a multi-functional space such as a den or media room where there will be a wide range of activities that call for specific light settings.  Overhead lighting should be installed as part of the initial room design.   Oftentimes, a standard grid lighting pattern does not work well with your seating and furniture layout, so it is best to draw up your lighting design in the initial stages of planning.

NOTE:  In general, recessed cans should be installed 30 inches away from the wall and 4-5 feet apart.

Track heads, recessed and/or rail lights should be strategically located so as not to create glare or cast unflattering shadows upon individuals in the room.

Rail lighting from WAC Lighting highlights artwork;  hanging pendants provide soft ambient illumination and artistic accent light.  Rail and track lighting are highly versatile and allow for easy adjustments if you decide to change your decor.

2. Wall Lighting: Wall lights work well in a media room as they expand the space and provide an evenly distributed balanced illumination.

Image from HGTV.com “Must-see Media Rooms”

“Jaxon” wall lighting from Troy Lighting, available in a variety of color options

3.  Portables:  From sturdy reading lamps to decorative table lamps, portables are a useful addition to the multifunctional media room.  They provide individualized task light, as well as general illumination throughout the room.

Room design by Sandra D’Amata International

Ambience table lamp (shown above), Frederick Cooper “Script Reader” floor lamp and Minka-Aire’s “Great Room” fan from Capitol Lighting

4. Control Systems:  Dimming and automated control systems are a must for the media room.  Even if you have programmed your lighting controls into your Smart phone, wall switches with a variety of room settings and dimming capabilities are a good idea and are available in a choice of colors to complement your rooms’s decor.

Dimmer switch from Kichler Lighting

5. Special Considerations:  LED bulbs and LED light fixtures are suitable for media room lighting designs, just be careful to choose all your light sources with the correct color rendering, color temperature and shielding. Look for LED light sources that are dimmable and in warm (2700K)  color temperatures. *

LED torchiere floor lamp from Holtkotter

* Solid State Lighting and LED light sources are being refined so that predictable color rendering and color temperature will be more visually accurate.  A new metric to measure LED illumination is in the works:  The Color Quality Scale (CQS) will help to identify the visual characteristics of LED light sources more clearly, but right now–a bit of trial and error may help you find LED light sources that are complementary to your media room’s decor.

3 Keys to Remember:

*  Avoid having sharp areas of contrast between dark and light–illumination should be evenly dispersed with slight variations that allow your eyes to transition from reading a book, conversing with friends or watching  TV.

* Make sure lighting/fan controls are easily accessible–opt for a remote control system in addition to wall switches.

* Go for the most energy-efficient light sources, but do not sacrifice the overall look of your room.   If you are not using fluorescent or LED light sources, opt for eco-halogen or top quality incandescent bulbs in portable light sources.

Your home is constantly evolving. The people who live in it grow up. You may expand the family at some point or your family may shrink as the kids move on. With your ever-changing family, your home will need to grow and evolve with your needs. Remodeling your family home makes a lot more sense than pulling up stakes and buying a new home that will fit your needs for a short time. You can make your home fit your family by remodeling with the help of an electrician in Santa Monica. The team at The Electric Connection is here to help you realize your dreams.

A remodeling job is an exciting adventure as you work with a contractor to transform your home into one that you are proud of and completely comfortable in. Unless you are a skilled tradesman, you won’t want to try and take on this big job yourself. Your fun adventure will quickly turn into a nightmare that could not only put your safety at risk, but the safety of your home. It is imperative you leave all of the Santa Monica electrical work to a professional.

Prior to starting the remodeling process, you will want to have a conversation with your electrician and other contractors about what your goals are. Some points to discuss with your electrician are as follows;

• Replacement of existing light fixtures • Installing data lines

While the electrician is in the house, it doesn’t hurt to have an electric safety inspection completed as well. This will help you identify any areas that should be upgraded or replaced during the remodel. This will make your home safer and give you peace of mind. If you are ready to take the first step in remodeling your home, give The Electric Connection a c all today.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a top-tier electrician in Columbia, Maryland? Maybe you’re looking for a new, exciting and rewarding career. Or maybe you just want to know what it is that makes Kolb Electric’s certified electricians so darn good at what they do! In either case, the answer to this question is a two-parter.

There is, of course, a practical aspect. Education, training and all of the necessities of being a bona fide electrician. But there are some personality and professionalism requirements, as well.

An electrician has to become highly versed in a ton of information. You may think it’s a lot of “this plug goes here”, and yes, there are some pretty simple connections to make. But electricians actually learn way, way more than just basics. A successful electrician must learn:

As an aside, we would like to point out that if you ever consider undergoing training to be a certified electrician, do not ignore safety and first aid training. A lot of our job is about how to avoid setting ourselves, or others on fire.

Where Do I Start?

There are a few methods of receiving electrician training. Kolb reccomends trade schools or a community college, as there are plenty of them that offer excellent courses in Maryland. Training will involve years of classroom study, practical applications and apprenticeship before you can acquire certification. Sound like a lot? It is, but it is entirely worth it, and everyone needs to know that you’re completely trained!

So aside from the extensive training, what makes a Kolb electrician great at what they do? A lot of it comes down to attitude, willingness to serve well, and professionalism. A successful electrician in Columbia is:

Another important thing to keep in mind as an electrician is that training never ends! Technology is always changing (often very rapidly), and staying on top of all of the latest technology, trends and techniques is one of the primary goals of a successful electrician. Besides, learning new things is fun, and keeps the job interesting!

Our teams at Kolb are extensively trained, highly effective and very skilled at what they do. If you need electrical services including repair, installation, replacement, rewiring or anything else, you can call on Kolb!

When it comes to home repair and renovations, many people attempt to handle their home improvement on their own when it should be left to the experts. Due to the abundance of television shows depicting do-it-yourself couples attempting to renovate old properties and the consistent bombardment of commercials from big box home improvement stores, fixing anything around your Des Moines home seems like something you should be able to handle yourself. Whether you are a seasoned handyman who has been handling home repairs on your own for years or an inexperienced homeowner working the kinks out of your first home, there are a number of tasks that absolutely must be left to the professionals because errors and mistakes could lead to severe injuries that could even prove to be fatal. Many of these scenarios require the work of a residential electrician, and a common one is electrical trenching.

Electrical trenching is the excavation of your property to prepare for electrical installation, and it could end in tragedy if you do not call an expert. While digging a ditch does not seem like something that would require a residential electrician, it is especially necessary when handling electrical issues. A residential electrician will not only be experienced in handling the electrical trenching, but they are also aware of the safety precautions. Under your lawn, various utility lines are running ranging from water to gas to electric. And if you were to damage one of these services, not only would you be at fault, but you would also be placing yourself in grave danger.

Do not start digging up your yard without first consulting an expert residential electrician. When you need electrical trenching in Des Moines, call the Electrical Guru’s at 515-446-7040 so we can safely and professionally handle the electrical trenching for your home.