Want to Increase Turnaround in Your Retail Store? Let in Natural Light!
For retailers looking to bring in more turnaround, the answer may not be in better endcaps and product displays. It may be in bringing in natural lighting. Natural light encourages customers to stay inside a store longer, interact with products longer and purchase a greater number of items. By bringing in natural light, you may just figure out the final solution to the puzzle of how to best reach your customers.
Studies Show Natural Light Is Successful
The California Energy Commission recently published a study of a retailer with a number of stores in the state that used natural light in some locations and traditional lighting in others. With 73 stores in the study throughout the state, it was a fairly deep pool. The results showed a significant increase in sales for the daylight-lit stores compared to those who did not have natural lighting.
Of the 73 stores, 24 were daylight lit, with diffusing skylights the primary source of light. The stores which were daylight lit had an increase in sales, particularly during the daylight hours, without any connection to the season of the year.
Interestingly, these increases in sales were not small. Stores were reporting up to 40 percent increases in sales when daylight was in the store. Daylight was also found to be a good predictor of sales figures. In addition, the energy costs for the daylit stores was lowered between 24 and 66 cents a square foot.
So what does this study mean for the modern retailer? For those who want to increase sales, investing in lighting that allows natural light into the store whenever possible is a wise choice.
How Window Coverings Can Help
Natural lighting is an inexpensive and effective way to light a retail space and, hopefully, boost sales, but retailers may want to diffuse the light to help reduce the glare and intensity in the space or protect the interior temperature. Window coverings can make natural lighting a more effective tool for the retail store.
Solar screen shades are a great choice for windows on the walls of buildings. These reduce glare while preserving the view. They also lessen the amount of heat transfer from the windows and protect retail merchandise from UV damage or fading. If your windows are near the checkout, they will reduce errors from your cashiers because of glares on the POS screens. California motorized shading makes it simple to use these energy efficient window treatments when needed, and roll them up when they are not needed.
External shading can be another option. Instead of placing a shade on the window itself, external shading creates shade on the exterior of the space, so the light that comes in the window is less intense.
Finally, consider UV protective window film. These energy efficient window treatments can tint the light slightly to reduce its intensity, as well as provide protection from UV damage. This will prevent fading of merchandise, even if the merchandise is in a store window.
If you want to increase sales at your location, you need natural light. With the right window treatments, that natural light is easy to control and utilize to your best advantage.
