Vitasolis™

Optisolis™

2-in-1 Tunable LED

Retail: Light so Good
Nichia’s guide on how to deliver better lighting in retail spaces

www.nichia.com

Delivering good lighting deserves greater attention

INTRODUCTION:
When it comes to boosting sales in brick-and-mortar retail stores, theimportance of good lighting is often undervalued, and the illumination insidesuch spaces is commonly unfit for purpose. Whether they are located in city
centres or out-of-town shopping malls, many retailers typically focus on factors
other than lighting to shape the customer experience.
Of course, retail managers have plenty to consider when it comes to retail store
design and improving the customer experience. Some examples include thecustomer flow layout, store fixtures and displays, visual merchandising, exterior
window displays, and space management of seating, checkout areas, and backof-the-house operations. Indeed, there are so many crucial strategic design
considerations; it should come as little surprise why lighting can frequently beconsidered less critical to delivering retail success.
5000K

RA80

Good lighting is more than just making sure the customer can see and interact
with the merchandise. When designed and implemented correctly, lighting
will help determine and influence the customer’s mood while shopping. Storeplanners and designers can use LED lighting solutions to draw shoppers into
specific store areas and create an amazing environment that aligns to the retailbrand and merchandise.
Successful lighting should be evaluated by context and the goals a client isaiming to achieve. Does the project require general ambient light or illumination
on specific products? Does the signage need illumination, or is visualmerchandising a higher priority? Later in this guide, we describe how lighting
specialists can illuminate specific areas of a store to maximize shopper comfort
and explain how the latest LED technology from NICHIA can help deliver aholistic customer experience.
Before we move into specific approaches to improve retail lighting,it is worth underlining some fundamentals about illumination.

Emission Intensity

Optisolis™

Lighting is one of life’s brain teasers
Daylight spectrum

380

480

580

Wavelength (nm)Optisolis™
Sun spectrum

680

780

“Best Lighting
Technology
Award LPS
2018”

During a recent retail lighting webinar hosted
by NICHIA, Shopping Behavior and
Neuroscience Specialist Dr Enrique
Strelow noted that our reaction to
Our brain tries
light is a “learned behavior” dating
to
make
sense
of visual input
back over a million years old.

processes which are based on very
complicated algorithms. These inputs
range from basic inputs like recognizing
lines and stripes as well as contrast
and colors to encompassing multiple layersof information and increasingly complex
tasks such as object recognition.
Dr Enrique Strelow

UV

2

Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

Shopping Behavior
and Neuroscience
Specialist

NOONWhite light,
high intensity

MORNING

Cool light,
high intensity

Warm light,
low intensity

EVENINGNo light

MIDNIGHT

2-in1 Tunable White LED for every day mode lighting.

Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

3

WHAT FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN DESIGNING RETAIL LIGHTINGLighting which connects brands with their customers

Using different layers of light in different areasof a retail outlet

Marketing experts remind us that: “A brand is worthless if it doesn’t
connect with the right audience in a relevant way.”
Good lighting design works in harmony with a well-thought-store layout
to align with the brand and to deliver a shopping experience that resonateswith new and existing loyal customers. For example, the wide-open spaces
in Apple Stores are easy to navigate with well-organized displays outside thestore. Without cluttered furniture and displays, there is a welcoming college
classroom feel to every Apple store.
Visitors are not only gearing up to learn about Apple products, but they
are actively encouraged to try the products. To encourage shoppers to stayfor longer, the store windows are vast to let in as much natural light as
possible while extensive use of backlit panels replicates soft, brightsunlight. Indeed, Apple’s patented ceiling lighting system design turns
an entire ceiling of wall-to-wall lighted ceiling panels and linear lighttroughs into a massive diffused lighting apparatus.

2-in-1 Tunable White LED• Easy color tuning and mixing• Homogenous light distribution• High color quality CRI ~90• Single light emitting surface• Smaller secondary optics• New luminaire design options

4

Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

Lighting should be designed in layers. This approach can improve the customer
experience by developing depth and contrast in-store. Layering light isn’t
simply limited to installing spotlights into an area and then simply walking
away. It involves carefully choosing appropriate fixtures for specific use while
delivering flexibility for some fixtures to be adjusted. While some retail brands
present merchandise on a longer-term seasonal basis, many other retailers
require constant product replenishment and displays and signage that are
more flexible and adaptable.
Different ambient levels of light need to be considered and contrast
and uniformity become very important design factors. Excessive differencesin brightness force the eye to readapt vision, which can increase discomfort
and fatigue. While shifts in contrast in zones across a retailstore can sometimes appear too jerky, inadequate
differences in illuminance across separate areas
can occasionally make stores seem mundane,
dull and uninspiring. Clearly, there is abalancing act that needs to be addressed.
What is vital when

designing lighting for a retailspace is to ensure that we create aforeground, a mid-ground and a background.
That’s because the eye is always drawn
to the brightest point so if we makethe back of the retail space the brightest point,suddenly that store becomes more permeable,
visually interesting and welcoming.
Mr Paul Nulty
Founder of Architectural
Lighting Design
Consultancy, Nulty

Moreover, the impact of feature lighting
should also not be an afterthought.
Good quality lighting designs should
address the light contribution fromdigital media. Retail stores can havea considerable number of digital
displays casting a fragmented
and disjointed hue of light onmerchandise on display as well as
possibly producing direct or reflected
glare into customers’ line of vision. Of
course, lighting from signage must be
taken into account too.

“Best Lighting SustainabilityAward LPS 2019”

Smooth and homogeneous color mixing.

Beware of illumination that’s over-exaggerated
Designers are usually wary of introducing too muchvolume of light. There are subtleties and sensibilities
to consider when adding light to create contrast anddrama. Identifying how the light will be positioned – up,
down, backlit, side-lit – will determine which lighting
product is best to suit a client’s needs.
Different fixtures can create a completely different
mood. For example, a beautiful decorative pendant
lighting is great to convey luxury and link to a relevant
premium brand, but it can also interfere with display
lighting, cast points of shadow and create a lot of visual
clutter. A range of other lighting fixtures and diffusedlighting in the adjoining area could help to counteract
this impact and deliver a balance in uniformity.

Ultimately, retail management is more about controllingthe attention of consumers and pulling them in towards
particular areas of a store and encouraging them tonotice and interact in particular spaces with products,
signage, offers, etc. Besides keeping customers focusedin a particular area of a store by applying the correctvolume of quality light, it is important to understandthe surfaces being used in retail stores. Light is actually
only seen when it reflects on surfaces, a fact whichshouldn’t be underestimated. Given that different typesof surfaces interact with light in different ways, thechoices of material finishes can add considerable depth
and sophistication to lighting design.
There is a multitude of fixtures to choose from with adiverse range of lighting effects. From track lighting
and surface mounted fixtures, to adjustable, recessedand eyeball down spots. From pendants and reels, tosuspended hanging fixtures and full room luminous
ceilings. The level, direction and distribution ofillumination which each solution offers is usually unique.

“Best Product Award LpS Digital 2020”

Adjust the color temperature to adapt to circadian rhythm.

Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

5

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT: OPTIMIZED LED SOLUTIONS FOR RETAIL
A recap on the benefits of LED lighting
The exceptional operational lifetime stands out as a criticalbenefit of LED lighting and it has also proven to be a highly
efficient light source considering its compact size, andability to convert electrical energy to light without
producing excessive heat (making it highly suitableto illuminate heat-sensitive products from shorter
distances to the light source). Efficiency-wise, LEDs can
now deliver a performance of more than 200 lumens
per watt, which reinforces just how much visible light
you get for less power than other light sources (such as
incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps).
The appropriate LED lighting solution can change thecomplete look and feel of a display or entire retail space. LEDs
tend to be an attractive choice for point-of-purchase (POP) displays,
signage and store fixtures because of their energy efficiency, low voltage
requirements, cool-to-touch surface, and compact form factor integrated into
fixture designs – especially when compared to other lighting options.
LEDs likewise offer the capacity to control brightness and produce various color
schemes. Retailers can utilize them to set up various subjects through different
store areas – going from dark and mysterious to radiant sunshine to link closer
with a brand or promotional season.

CRI performance
There are many parameters that can have impact how color is perceived
including light source, size of objects, background or surrounding color,and surface materials. Of course, many of these factors are out of thecontrol of retailers.
However, the Color Rendering Index (CRI) of LEDs is something thatdeserves closer attention. CRI is used to represent how well a lightsource renders the colors of objects that it illuminates. A measure of
CRI 100 is the maximum measurable value and equivalent to daylight.
For best performance, the minimum recommended CRI for general
LED lighting and direct lighting applications is typically 90+, whereas
backlit and indirect lighting will require CRI 80+. A high CRI can reflect
how merchandise will be perceived, helping products to appear fresher
and the stores brighter.
CRI can only represent colors R1 – R8 and omits important R9 and R13 content. Red
is the hardest color to render appropriately, so a high R9 value is often sought out
by designers when an application requires a higher sensitivity to color accuracy.
For instance, when raw meat in grocery stores has a blue hue, this issue is often
due to poorly designed lighting. Although LED lighting featuring a R9 over 50 willrender the color red relatively well, sometimes this comes at the expense of thelight’s luminous efficacy.

Efficacy and lifetime maintenance
Shoppers will be delighted with adequate brightness
When choosing between LED fixtures, it is worth inspecting those that candeliver high brightness performance (lumen output) while maintaining efficacy(lumens per watt).
Different retail spaces will require different levels of brightness. For overallbrightness levels in areas with product displays or payment counters, lighting
designers can use a spectrometer to measure Illuminance and adjust it according
to requirements. In retail spaces, designers often work with conflicting amounts
and different types of lighting. When determining brightness levels, retail lighting
experts should factor in the lighting from associated fixtures on the sales floor,
signage, promotional displays, as well as natural light from windows and doors.

6

Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

It is important when designing an illuminated retail store fixture to plan for any
potential maintenance and repair of the lighting fixture. The long lifetime of LEDs
reduces the need to replace failed lamps, and this can lead to significant savings,
particularly in the cost of sending out maintenance teams to retail. This also
makes LED fixtures useful for installation in relatively inaccessible locations.
A LED module’s lifetime is defined as the time it takes until its light output, or
lumen maintenance, reaches 70% of the initial output. This is also called L70. In
other words, the module does not fail instantly as many conventional light sourcesdo, it slowly dims down.
However, there’s more to LED technology advantages than brightness, efficacy
and lifetime performance. Read on to learn more.

Improve productivity by simulating daylight.

Easy color tuning and mixing.

Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

7

BEYOND THE BASICS: THE FOCUS FROM NICHIA ON PRODUCING “LIGHT SO GOOD”
There’s more to LED technology advantages thanbrightness, efficacy and lifetime performance.

2-in-1 Tunable White provides design flexibility
and decorative flair‘Light so Good’ is a mantra that reaffirms NICHIA’s commitment
to delivering an optimum level of light which is functional and versatilefor different applications.

NICHIA’s pioneering 2-in-1 Tunable White LEDs accomplish color tuning withina small, single light-emitting surface (LES), achieving superb color uniformity
with high color quality (up to 90 CRI). The innovative mid-power LED
eliminates the need for bulky light guides and mixing chambers and enables
luminaire manufacturers to improve color tuning, shrink optics and develop
sleeker fixture profiles while allowing new design options.

Retail lighting has specific needs. NICHIA has produced a ground-breaking
range of LED technologies that move beyond straightforward productillumination. Lighting fixture manufacturers are integrating the solutions
into luminaires to address these requirements and enhance the customer
experience. The solutions enable lighting designers to produce a
quality of light to elevate the customer experience (enhancing
shoppers’ brand connection and the emotional response).

Available in a mid-power 3030 package, this tunable white technology
allows customers and the industry to focus on the benefits of
the light instead of just energy savings, which already far
surpass that of traditional technologies.
NICHIA’s 2-in-1 LED allows for elegant color tuning
because everything is under a single LES; thiscan be seen easily in edge-lit solutions.
Currently, luminaire manufacturers must
use two LEDs in side-by-side to achievecolor tuning. This solution creates
unwanted optical distributions andvisual effects while also limiting thelumen output that can be achievedin a single luminaire. Now, luminaire
manufacturers can achieve theperformance they need by integrating
NICHIA’s 2-in-1 LED.

Before installation of NICHIA’s
Optisolis and 2-in-1

A tunable white solution allows
retailers to increase the visibility ofpromotional displays and special offers
in stores by increasing contrast between
the goods and the aisles, and smoothly
adjust the color temperature during the day
to the changing daylight to help boost thealertness of shoppers. There’s more informationon this benefit when we discuss our Vitasolis™
solution below.

8

Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

Powered by NICHIA‘s
Optisolis and 2-in-1...facilitates CONNECTION

Color recognition with full sun spectrum.

Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

9

OPTISOLIS™
Optisolis™ delivers more accurate UV-free representationof merchandise
NICHIA’s Optisolis™ is the world’s first LED and chip-on-board (COB) solution which has aspectrum closer to sunlight than any previously developed LED without harmful UV emissionthat can damage merchandise in retail settings (particularly printed materials, artworks, textiles
and some fresh produce). In short, it illuminates objects in a more vivid and natural way.
With a CRI of over 98 at full intensity and exceptional R9 (red) content of 94, Optisolis™
is available from 2700-6500K color temperature and provides a high energy-saving efficacy
at 134 lumens per watt.
In retail spaces, besides mimicking natural sunlight without potentially harmful UV what
does Optisolis™ offer store owners? Firstly, it can help to provide a positive emotional
response in shoppers by conveying the full-color spectrum. The vivid appearance
through high CRI like natural sunlight provides an even more accurate renderingof objects. This is very important when selling beauty products like makeup, clothes
and furniture. The colors of items are matched according to specific preference
and to coordinate and complement with other items in customers’ collections.
Furthermore, Optisolis™ reveals the true colors of products in grocery retail,such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. It has an exceptionally high color
rendering index (CRI) of 98, compared with 80 to 90 for typical retail lights.
Contrast and emotion provided by the warm hug of the evening sun areenabled by natural sunlight or the Optisolis™ from NICHIA which is very
close to matching natural light, according to shopping behavior expert
Dr Enrique Strelow.

Color
recognition FULL SUN
SPECTRUM

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Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

Natural and vivid appearance
through HIGH CRI AS THE SUN
He explains: “Optisolis™ is being used in Edeka stores in Wiesbaden and it
helps to recreate the emotion of the evening sun and gives fresh produce thebest possible appearance.”
For supermarkets like Edeka, one of the largest supermarket chains inGermany, the lighting techniques’ repertoire includes the ‘meat lamp’, whichbrings a reddish glow to the butcher’s counter, making cuts look fresh, juicy
and appetizing. At the fish counter, bright, cool lights reflect the shine of
freshly caught seafood and the sparkle of ice. At the same time, carefully
devised lighting in other areas subtly draws the attention of clientele topromotions or essential items. Even outside the store, window display lighting
schemes help attract shoppers’ gaze, tempting them inside.
Improved well-being through comfortable illumination is an essential factor,
equating to increased sales as customers are encouraged to stay in-store toshop for longer. According to a recent study conducted by the Fraunhofer
Institute for Building Physics in Germany, full spectrum LEDs provide higher
naturalness and higher ratings of comfortability than the standard LEDs.

...gives EMOTION

Improved well being through comfortable illumination.

Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

11

VITASOLIS™
Vitasolis™ providing customers with vitality and energy
while shoppingWith LED technology continuing to advance, retailers have begun to lookbeyond established benefits such as energy efficiency and to consider whatmore can be achieved with light. For instance, the ever-improving color range
and controllability of LEDs means they are increasingly being deployed toheighten both visual and emotional appeal. And now, thanks to step-changes
in science, retailers can add a third dimension to the impact of light: thebiological effect.
Nichia’s proprietary Vitasolis™ LED technology stimulates the body and its
circadian rhythm in the same way as natural light. It is well documented thatlighting influences activity levels throughout the day, including waking up in
the morning, being active during working hours, and sleeping well at night.
Although Vitasolis™ provides a very natural white color, part of its spectrum
contains a more considerable amount of energy in the cyan region, which is
known to help control human circadian rhythms.
Many artificial white light sources found in shops do not contain sufficientcyan to stimulate the body. In contrast, the enhanced cyan element present
within the spectrum of Vitasolis™ (at 490nm wavelength) opens the door
to human-centric lighting solutions that promote well-being and alertness,
reduce tiredness and stress, and elevate mental performance. Vitasolis™,with its broad color spectrum, also improves the response of the eyes
to light, reducing strain.

Vitality for store workers and shoppers– ALERTNESS AND CONCENTRATION.
Vitasolis™ achieves the optimum characteristics of light without losing energy
efficiency. In comparison, standard LEDs can struggle to provide humancentric lighting solutions with a focus on cyan in their spectrum without
sacrificing lumen efficacy. Put simply, Vitasolis technology enables users tobenefit from energy savings provided by LED technology while combining theadvantages of human-centric lighting.
Due to less yellow in the spectrum, white appears crisper and products morebrilliant and the increased contrast and cyan boosts vitality and makes workers
and shoppers feel better, more alert, and more able to focus and concentrate.

Crisper white forbrilliant productplacement –CONTRAST AND
VISIBILITY

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Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

NICHIA can deliver dynamic, tunable LED lighting to those looking to get morefrom their retail environment. Consistent color is achieved across fixtures,
which elevates different products or enhances branding experience, evenacross large spaces such as supermarkets. NICHIA’s solutions can also replace
the complex traditional lighting schemes often found in retail spaces.

Best Lighting
Project TiL 2019

LEDs Magazine Sapphire Award
for Packaged LEDs and OLEDs 2020...brings INSPIRATION

Improved “shopping endurance” - ENHANCED SHOPPING ENJOYMENT.

Nichia’s guide on
how to deliver better
lighting in retail spaces

13Vitasolis™

Optisolis™

2-in-1 Tunable LED

Success in retail depends on forging a strong connection with its customer base.
NICHIA’s LED solutions are proven to support this objective. They can successfully be
deployed separately or together as part of an integrated lighting toolkit.
To learn more, contact us today info_de@nichia.eu

Nichia Chemical Europe GmbH
Westerbachstr. 28
61476 Kronberg i. Ts.
Germany