Lighting a supermarket is a complex process, with varying lighting requirements for each section. Understanding the requirements of each of these sections and adopting a good lighting system can create a pleasant experience for the shoppers, maximize the effectiveness of product displays and even influence purchase decisions! Good lighting is essential to communicate product quality and draw customers’ attention to specific products and areas as needed. Take into account the following before investing in lighting for your supermarket:
1. Lead the way :
The lighting in the aisles of a supermarket or grocery store can help customers make their way around the store easily. Generally, aisles should be lit well to provide a clear path, while being less bright than the shelves. This helps products and signage stand out, making it easier for customers to find what they need. The lighting in the aisles and pathways should be adequate to move around comfortably, with any obstructions clearly visible. This can also help the staff while stocking up and cleaning, thereby improving their efficiency.
Supermarket aisle lighting
2. Check the temperature :
The products in supermarkets and grocery stores have limited shelf life and can be particularly sensitive to changes in temperature. For this reason, lighting suppliers in Philippines always recommend LED Lighting for supermarkets. Many products, especially meat and dairy, tend to get discolored and spoil faster due to infrared and UV lighting from conventional light sources. LED lights produce very low levels of both, keeping meat and produce fresh for much longer.
Meat section in a supermarket with LED light
3. Keep it colorful :
Almost everyone has had a moment where they’ve bought a piece of fruit or vegetable simply because it looked so fresh and appealing in the store! Good lighting is key to impressing customers. Good lighting can enhance the apparent quality of produce, and in turn boost sales significantly. Lights with a high CRI reproduce the natural colors of produce the best, ensuring that vegetables and fruits look as vibrant and fresh as they did when they were harvested. LED suppliers in Manila carry a wide range of high CRI lamps for lighting grocery stores and supermarkets.
Fruits with lights that bring out the color
4. Light by area:
Consider the varying needs of each area in the supermarket to decide on the lighting.
Vegetables and fruits need lamps with a color temperature of 2700-3000K. This colour temperature is most similar to natural lighting with warm tones, which effectively showcases and complements the colors of the fruits and vegetables. Lighting with a high CRI (ideally over 90) is recommended in this section. The lighting here should focus on the produce, so the general lighting levels can be low, with spotlights on the fruits and vegetables.
Meat and poultry sections look best under light with high CRI and R9 values, as they bring out the reds in the meat and makes them look fresh and juicy. Better color rendering will also bring out marbling in meat products, allowing customers to easily choose what they want. Look for LED lighting in Manila that caters specifically to meat displays - these are low-heat lights that highlight the natural colors of the meat while preventing discoloration.
When it comes to seafood, bright white or cool white colored lights with a color temperature of around 4000K are ideal; such lights make seafood look clean and freshly caught. Good color rendering is important here too, as it showcases the quality and variations clearly. Keep the light source a short distance away to ensure good visibility while also keeping the fish from spoiling.
Lights with warm tones are advised for bread, pastry and cheese sections of the supermarket. The warmer shades of the lights accent and bring out the browns and yellows in these foods, making them look more appetizing. The lights also blend well with the smell of pastries to create a warm ambience that immediately appeals to customers.
Neutral and cool whites are preferred for packaged goods to complement the variety of choices and colors used in their packaging. LED spotlights and integrated shelf lighting is best suited for these areas, as they reduce glare while providing enough light to clearly identify the products.
Bread and pastries under warm lighting