Opinion: Effective lighting ideas for the modern bike shop

Passing footfall looking inwards to your store needs to be drawn in by what they see through the glass. Bike shop design expert Gosia Adamska writes on her experience of catching the customer’s eye and showcasing goods effectively…

Like a product placement in a film production, lighting is one of those in store elements that might be not even noticed by your customer. Now you might wonder why you should then care at all how your store is illuminated. Why should you invest money into a properly done lighting design scheme when almost no one will pay attention to it?

To start, take into the account the fact that we, as human beings, need sunlight to be healthy, to not feel depressed. Perhaps you had noticed how on a bright sunny day you suddenly have a boost of energy coming from nowhere and you feel like you can move mountains, that you are calmer and happier. This compared to the very grim, dark, rainy days when you feel like black clouds might suddenly fall on you. This contrasts is night and day – lighting is important and it does influence us a lot.

Good lighting design at your bike shop not only illuminates the whole space, but it can influence your client’s purchasing behavior. To make them feel good you must make sure the product you are selling is perceived by customer in positive way. How your customers will feel in your store very much depends on how the store is presented visually.

Badly done, lighting schemes will make your customers feel tired quicker, so they leave your store before they even would think of buying anything. It will also make your product look less attractive, even if otherwise merchandised well. On the flipside, too bright a light might make customers feel too clinical. Worse, though, is an environment where it is difficult to perceive the details of the product, its colour and texture.

As part of the buying decision consumers like to see product first, then touch it.

Showing the true colour of a bicycle, clothing, helmet, or shoes you are selling by using appropriate lighting is as important as giving your customer information about it. Studies have shown that people make subconscious decision about a product or environment within 90 seconds of viewing it and between 62 to 90 percent of that judgement is based on colour only.

There are different factors that you should be using when thinking about lighting in your bike store. Think about the area of your store you are looking at, the product that you want to show as priority, the type of customer you would like to bring to your store, the atmosphere you would like to achieve, and if you would like your store to be perceived as a luxury, high street feel, or a quirky, value for money venue.

General lighting of the bike shop should be spread evenly around the store so there are no dark corners, or badly lit products falling out of sight. Your store exterior, window display and entry to your store is a first point of contact with your customer. Therefore it is especially important to make an eye-catching feature here using warm, welcoming lighting and display.

The bikes and any other products that you want to attract your customers to most needs additional directional bright lighting to highlight it for the customer’s attention. In your changing rooms your client should feel flattered and look better than in their house mirror. This can be achieved by placing lighting on both sides of the mirror that is warm in colour. Service should have lighting that will be bright enough, but not dazzling. Many find lighting placed above benches and workstands to be easiest to work on bikes, but multidirectional can be useful for catching details during work.

A well-designed lighting scheme is not only used to light interior and exterior of your store, but if executed with thought it is also a great tool that will help you to achieve your selling goals.

Liked what you’ve heard from Gosia? Read her prior articles here.