How Natural Light can Increase Sales

 

Think of it like combining retail therapy with light therapy

Scroll below to learn how natural lighting is helping retailers boost sales, improve ambience, and reduce electricity costs.

 

Harnessing natural light is changing the way we shop due in part to the psychological benefits of incorporating natural light into the built environment.
According to scientific evidence, a 40% increase in retail sales can be achieved with precisely positioned daylighting systems.

 

It all dates back to the 1990s when Walmart began progressively replacing artificial lights with skylights and other natural light sources in their store in Lawrence, Kansas. Expecting to see their energy bills decline, they also found that natural light produced a large increase in sales. The product SKUs located under the skylights sold better than those under fluorescent electric lighting. And, to validate the increased sales results of natural lighting, Walmart swapped merchandise from one side of the store to the other and noted the same sales increase for the merchandise moved to the daylit zone.

 

If given the opportunity to choose between a building with abundant daylight or one lit by electric lighting, most would select the former.

This is because a good daylighting design can enhance the architectural features of a space in a special way, infusing emotion and completely transforming the space creating a more hospitable shopping environment that is welcoming and comforting.

For example, a study by the Eneref Institute found stores with natural light were shown to be more inviting, thus resulting in increased foot traffic. Additionally, the natural light placed over the checkout counters made customers feel more at ease.

Additionally, everything from fresh fruit to soda bottles look better under daylighting systems because natural light accurately renders all wavelengths of light within the visible color spectrum. When merchandise is illuminated with the broad spectrum of sunlight, true colors are reflected with an even intensity, making it more appealing to the human eye.

More significantly, effective management of natural daylight can also work towards a netzero carbon footprint, motivating ecologically conscious customers. Retailers who act aggressively to mitigate climate change can appeal to millennials and Gen Z customers, who strongly believe that climate change is now upon us.

And while retailers need to engage the younger generation for long-term viability, older customers also need quality natural lighting. According to the Illuminating Engineering Society, people 55 and older require 2.3 times more light for the same visual acuity as 25-year-olds. By using energy-efficient daylighting systems, retailers will be able to significantly raise interior light levels without glare and at a much lower cost than electric lights.

A Triple Play

By installing daylighting systems, large retailers have a unique opportunity for a triple play: Reduce energy costs, boost sales and tackle climate change—all at the same time.

 

If you want to learn more about adaptive and flexible design using the power of the sun, you can call 888.SOLATUBE to set up a free consultation or visit Solatube.com/commercial to find your local distributor. We can help find flexible solutions by incorporating Solatube TDDs into your projects, from spec writing to daylight modeling to a simple consultation.

 

 

Published on: March 31, 2022