Commercial lighting: a fashion store’s greatest ally
Lighting plays a key role in any commercial space. Beyond the obvious function of ensuring good visibility, it influences how customers perceive products, move through the store and, ultimately, interact with the brand.
In the fashion sector, commercial store lighting is essential and requires particularly careful planning.
For this reason, it should be considered from the earliest stages of the project. Its integration with the architecture, furniture and building systems will influence the shopping experience.
Lighting in a fashion store: three key factors
Product perception
Light affects how the space and the products are perceived. A garment may display different shades depending on the colour temperature, the colour rendering index of the luminaires or the direction of the light. When a store’s commercial lighting is properly designed, colours are perceived more accurately, textures become more prominent and the overall display is more appealing.
Customer journey
Lighting in a fashion store also influences the customer journey. Certain areas can be given greater prominence through accent lighting, while others require more uniform lighting to facilitate movement or product searches.
Brand identity
Lighting also helps reinforce brand identity. A premium fashion brand, for example, will usually seek understated and elegant environments, while a brand aimed at a younger audience may opt for more dynamic spaces with stronger contrasts.
Basic commercial lighting concepts
General lighting
This is the main source of light within a space. It ensures adequate visibility levels throughout the store. Other types of lighting with more specific functions are then added to it.
Accent lighting
This is used to highlight products, shop windows, displays or specific areas of the store. It creates a visual hierarchy and directs the customer’s attention towards particular points.
Colour temperature
Expressed in kelvins (K), it indicates the tone of the light emitted by a luminaire. Warm temperatures create more welcoming environments, while cooler temperatures convey a more neutral feel.
Colour rendering index (CRI)
This measures a light source’s ability to reproduce colours accurately. In a fashion store, luminaires with a high CRI are recommended so that garments can be perceived as accurately as possible.
Luminaire
This is the element that houses the light source and controls how the light is distributed.
Planning: aspects to consider
Commercial lighting must be adapted to the characteristics of the space and the type of product on display. Lighting a shop window is not the same as lighting a circulation area or a fitting room. Each area requires a specific approach that responds to its function within the store.
It is common to combine general lighting with accent lighting designed to highlight shop windows, displays or specific collections. This distribution helps organise the space visually and directs the customer’s attention towards the most important points.
The quality of the light is also crucial. In clothing store lighting, a high colour rendering index allows garment colours to be viewed more accurately, while the right colour temperature helps create an environment that is consistent with the brand’s identity.
Lastly, lighting must be coordinated with the other elements of the project. The position of luminaires, electrified tracks and suspended ceilings should be defined from the earliest stages to avoid changes during construction and facilitate the execution of the work.
Four common mistakes in fashion store lighting
1. Lighting the entire store in the same way
Using completely uniform lighting is the simplest option, but it causes all elements to compete for attention. Combining general and accent lighting makes it possible to create a visual hierarchy and direct attention towards the products, shop windows or areas that need to stand out.
2. Choosing an unsuitable colour temperature
Colour temperature directly influences how garments are perceived. An unsuitable choice can alter colours, change the appearance of fabrics or create an environment that conflicts with the brand’s values or image.
3. Positioning luminaires incorrectly
Poorly positioned luminaires can cause glare, shadows or areas with insufficient lighting. In addition to affecting visual comfort, these issues make it difficult to present products properly and worsen the shopping experience.
4. Failing to anticipate future changes in the store
Fashion stores must be prepared for change: collections are renewed, shop windows are updated and furniture layouts are rearranged. Lighting should therefore be planned with the store’s constant evolution in mind. A flexible installation will make these changes easier and avoid overly complex work in the future.
Lighting during construction
Although a retail lighting project is defined in advance, its final result depends largely on correct execution. During construction, the electrical installation, suspended ceilings, air-conditioning systems, furniture and all the other elements involved in the commercial space must be coordinated.
This avoids interference and ensures that the lighting is installed as planned.
Commercial lighting in Abessis projects
Lighting is a decisive element in any fashion store, as it has a positive influence on product perception and improves the shopping experience.
At Abessis, we deliver turnkey projects for retail spaces, coordinating every stage of the construction process to ensure that aspects such as lighting are fully integrated with the architecture, building systems and furniture. Our projects for Normal, KIKO Milano and Victoria’s Secret are good examples of this.
Are you planning the construction of a fashion store? Tell us about your project and we will get to work.