This publication has been funded by BRE Trust

The essential guide to retail lighting

The essential guide to retail lighting

Lighting is critically important in retail environments. Light

attracts customers, creates atmosphere, and defines image.
Good lighting makes a store inviting from the outside
From the Foreword by Nigel Keen, Director of Property
Services, John Lewis Partnership:
The essential guide to retail
lighting
and creates the right atmosphere for the selling process, "For other retailers looking to develop a low energy lighting
showing the products at their best and stimulating impulse strategy we recommend BRE Trust's The essential guide to
buying. retail lighting. It provides retailers, architects and designers
with detailed practical information and guidelines to
This guide, written by BRE lighting experts, reviews typical explain how best to develop energy efficient, cost-effective
current practice in retail lighting and gives advice on how to lighting solutions for new and existing stores." Achieving effective and energy-efficient lighting
achieve effective and energy-efficient solutions, providing
retailers, architects and designers with practical guidelines
both on refurbishing existing lighting systems and on
developing new lighting solutions for their stores.
Cosmin C Ticleanu, Paul J Littlefair and Gareth J Howlett

Related titles from IHS BRE Press

LED lighting: A review of the current market and future
developments
FB 40

Office lighting
BR 415

Selecting lighting controls

DG 529

Cosmin C Ticleanu, Paul J Littlefair and Gareth J Howlett

Available from www.brebookshop.com

IHIHS BRE Press

IHS BRE Press, Willoughby Road ISBN 978-1-84806-322-8

Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 8FB

www.brebookshop.com
FB 56

9 781848 063228

FB56Retail LightingCOVER.indd All Pages 02/08/2013 14:14:54

The essential guide to retail lighting
Achieving effective and energy-efficient lighting

Cosmin C Ticleanu, Paul J Littlefair and Gareth J Howlett

 ii

The research and writing for this publication has been funded The authors are grateful to iGuzzini for permission to use the
by BRE Trust, the largest UK charity dedicated specifically to photograph on the front cover of the Napapijri shop in Milan,
research and education in the built environment. BRE Trust Italy.
uses the profits made by its trading companies to fund new
research and education programmes that advance knowledge, All URLs accessed [May 2013]. Any third-party URLs are given for
innovation and communication for public benefit. information and reference purposes only and BRE Trust and IHS
do not control or warrant the accuracy, relevance, availability,
BRE Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in timeliness or completeness of the information contained on
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FB 56

First published 2013

ISBN 978-1-84806-322-8
 Contents iii

Contents

Foreword  v

Preface vii

Glossary ix

1 Introduction 1

2 Design principles 3
2.1 Functions of retail lighting  3
2.2 Factors to be considered in retail lighting design  3
2.3 Recommendations for retail lighting  9

3 Review of current retail lighting provision 15

3.1 Energy consumption for retail lighting  15
3.2 BRE survey on retail lighting  15

4 State-of-the-art technologies in lighting 19

4.1 Light sources  19
4.2 Ballasts and control gear  20
4.3 Luminaires/light fittings  24
4.4 Daylighting  29
4.5 Intelligent lighting controls 36

5 Guidelines for improved lighting design 39

5.1 Sales areas  39
5.2 Display windows  46
5.3 Ancillary spaces  48
5.4 External spaces  49

6 Conclusions 51

7 References 53

Appendix: Checklist for refurbishment 55

 iv The essential guide to retail lighting

BRE will help to make your retail business more profitable, safe,
sustainable and energy efficient.
Sustainability benchmarking
BRE runs the International Sustainability Alliance which
We can help with: benchmarks the sustainability performance of building assets,
and is used extensively in the retail sector in Europe and around
the world.
Building solutions
• Use our Independent expertise for technical reviews Retail sector clients include:
of standards and specifications for new construction,
refurbishment, fit-out and management of your buildings. • Asda

• HVAC and lighting design and specification • Audi

• Fabric and façade treatment • British Land

• Interior fit-out materials performance and sustainability • Co-operative Group

• Controls, energy management and staff procedures • Corio

• Problem solving, including testing and expert witness • Cushman & Wakefield
services.
• ECE
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) • H&M
Boost your brand value and profitability with including:
• International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC)
• Bespoke sustainability policies, targets and implementation
plans • John Lewis Partnership

• Sustainable retail property frameworks, design guides and • Marks & Spencer
information for suppliers
• Morrisons
• CSR assessment and reporting.
• Redevco
Safety
• Waitrose.
Protect people and property from fire and security breaches
with:
www.bre.co.uk
• Our expertise on building security and fire safety standards,
design and operation

• Approved security, passive and active fire safety, and fire

detection and suppression, products, systems and services –
as listed in the LPCB Red Book – www.redbooklive.com

Sustainability
Our world-leading expertise in built environment sustainability
includes:

• Energy efficiency

• We will help you to plan, implement, monitor and

continually improve energy efficiency measures and
strategies that will reduce your costs and carbon footprint.

BREEAM
Developed by BRE, BREEAM is the international sustainability
standard for buildings that is applied to new and existing
buildings, refurbishments and fit-outs throughout the retail
sector. It is used by developers, investors, clients and occupiers
to improve their buildings and the retail environment.

www.breeam.org
 Foreword v

Foreword

The John Lewis Partnership welcomes this new publication and ambience which aids their navigation and journey through
from the BRE Trust. It comes at a critical time with energy costs our stores. Factors that need to be taken into consideration
increasingly affecting a store’s profitability, and with the price of when developing a scheme include reliability, maintenance,
electricity predicted to increase dramatically, there is increasing flexibility, and capital, installation and running costs from energy
interest among retailers in the creation of effective, energy requirements.
efficient lighting schemes.
We have been monitoring and testing the technical
Reducing our impact on the environment is a key issue for The developments in LEDs for many years but previously found they
John Lewis partnership. Our 2013 Responsible Development were not viable for our sales floor lighting due to insufficient
Framework sets out our aspiration to design, operate and output and colour rendering. The availability, affordability and
manage our estate so that it meets the needs of our customers, performance of LED lights has advanced at a remarkable pace in
Partners and the wider community, and has minimal impact on recent years due to the multitude of different solutions helping
the environment during construction, operation and disposal. create a greater demand for better technology.

A key feature of the Responsible Development Framework is Following successful trials at Waitrose Stratford upon Avon and
our desire to focus on trialling new technologies and looking John Lewis ‘At home’ Ipswich stores we now specify LED lighting
for new ways of working. Successful methods are then applied as standard throughout the Waitrose and John Lewis estate for
across our estate. new and refurbished stores. We have proven that LEDs provide
significant savings in the electricity required for lighting in
Against the backdrop of a growing business, we are working to Waitrose and John Lewis. We have also completed a successful
reduce absolute operational CO2 equivalent emissions by 15% retrofit of LED lighting which were installed throughout
by 2020/21 against a 2010/11 baseline. Waitrose Cirencester. This gives us the confidence to roll back
this technology across our estate.
Energy is the single largest contributor to our operational carbon
footprint. Energy is also a fundamental requirement for us to Overall, we estimate LEDs will deliver at least a 10% reduction
run our business and rising electricity, gas and oil prices have in store electricity demand compared to traditional lighting
an impact on the cost of running our business. Developing new solutions. It is a great example of how we have worked with
solutions that reduce energy consumption, cost and carbon are our supply chain to pioneer and drive industry to develop new
key to driving sustainability and profits. lighting solutions that reduce energy consumption, cost and
carbon.
Lighting is critically important to retail environments and plays
a lead role in reducing energy consumption across all our For other retailers looking to develop a low energy lighting
properties. strategy we recommend BRE Trust’s The essential guide to retail
lighting. It provides retailers, architects and designers with
The objectives for our retail lighting schemes include attracting detailed practical information and guidelines to explain how
customers into our stores, honestly displaying merchandise to its best to develop energy efficient, cost-effective lighting solutions
best advantage and to provide a positive customer experience for new and existing stores.

Nigel Keen

Director of Property Services

John Lewis Partnership

 vi The essential guide to retail lighting
© iGuzzini: Desigual, Capucine,
Paris, France
 Preface vii

Preface

This guide was produced with the support of BRE Trust as part We would also like to thank Bill Wright of Wright Energy and
of its research programme. The survey of retail lighting was Environment, who gave a presentation to a retail lighting
originally carried out for the Defra Market Transformation workshop held at BRE, and to all the participants at the
Programme, and the data are reproduced with permission. workshop who gave expert views on the subject. Photographs
and case studies are printed with permission from retailers,
The authors would like to thank Feride Sener, who carried out a lighting designers and manufacturers as acknowledged within
review of international research on retail lighting, and produced the guide. We would like to thank them for their contributions.
some of the diagrams and photographs.
© iGuzzini: Marttiini, Helsinki,
Finland
 Glossary ix

Glossary

Accent lighting Correlated colour temperature (CCT)

Highlighting of displayed merchandise or the features of a store See colour appearance.

or building.

Dichroic reflector
Average illuminance
Lamp reflector used for display lighting that allows heat to pass
The illuminance averaged over a specific area. In practice, this through while reflecting the light in a cool beam that does not
may be derived either from an average of the illuminances at heat the display.
a representative number of points on the surface, or from the
total luminous flux falling on the surface divided by the total
area of the surface. Measured in lux (lx). Directional lighting

Lighting that uses lamps or luminaires with reflectors that direct

Ballast or control gear and control the light so that the light on the area or object of
interest comes predominantly from a particular direction.
Part of the control equipment of fluorescent or discharge
lamps, used to stabilise the current. The older, traditional mains-
frequency ballast can consume up to 20–25% of the total lamp Discharge lamp
current. A modern electronic ballast working at high frequency
consumes about 30% less current, and can be used to regulate Lamp that produces light by discharging an electric current
or dim the lamp output. through a gas (neon, argon, krypton) or a gas/metal vapour
mixture (mercury, sodium). For some types of discharge lamp,
such as fluorescent tubes, the electrical discharge generates
Colour appearance ultraviolet radiation, which is converted into visible light by a
phosphor coating on the inner face of the glass. The type of
Visual sensation correlated with the ‘warmth’ or ‘coolness’ of coating determines the spectrum of the light emitted.
the light emitted by a lamp. The metric used to characterise the
colour appearance of the light emitted by a light source is the
correlated colour temperature, expressed in Kelvin (K). Warm Driver
white light is produced by lamps having a colour temperature
below 3000 K (reddish hues), whereas 4000 K and above Device that converts supply power into the current and voltage
(bluish) is cool and cold white light. The colour appearance is that the semiconductor material contained in LEDs requires to
quite separate from the colour rendering of the lamp. emit light. The driver may also sense and correct for changes in
intensity (dimming) and colour (tuning) during operation.

Colour gamut
Efficacy
A measure of how colourful a scene will appear under a given
light source. Sources with a high colour gamut generally make A measure of the effectiveness of a lighting installation in
objects appear brighter and more colourful. converting electrical power to light. Units are lumens per Watt
(lm/W).

Colour rendering
Emergency lighting
The ability of a light source to show surface colours as they
should be, usually in comparison with a tungsten or daylight Lighting provided as a separate system for use when the main
source. Measured on the colour rendering index (CRI) scale. A lighting fails.
value of 0 means it is impossible to discern colours at all, and
a score of 100 means no colour distortion. For most indoor
lighting applications a value of at least 80 is recommended. Enhanced capital allowances (ECAs)

ECAs are available for the installation of energy-efficient

Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) equipment, including lighting.

Type of fluorescent lamp, designed to replace incandescent

lamps. CFLs use less power, and have a longer rated life.
 x The essential guide to retail lighting

Extra-low-voltage lamps Installed load

Small tungsten halogen lamps producing two or three times the See power density.
light output of conventional filament lamps. Normally powered
from a separate 12 V source. Apart from increased efficiency
and lamp life, the heating effect is lower, which is preferable for Kilowatt-hour
display lighting.
The standard measurement of electrical consumption;
equivalent to one kilowatt of electrical demand for one hour
Fibre optic lighting (kWh). Also known as a ‘unit’ of electricity.

Type of luminaire that uses a fibre optic cable to transmit the

light from a lamp to a point of use. The lamp is therefore remote Lamp efficacy
from the application, allowing ease of access for maintenance
etc. The ratio of the light output from a light source to the power
consumed; measured in lumens per Watt (lm/W). The higher
the efficacy value of a lamp or lighting system, the more energy-
Flicker efficient it is. For example, the efficacy of a 60 W incandescent
light bulb 12 lm/W, and of an 11 W CFL is 55 lm/W. For a 36 W
Visible oscillation in the luminous flux. fluorescent tube it is 91 lm/W. This last figure is a lamp efficacy;
it excludes the power consumed by the ballast that is needed to
run the discharge lamps.
General lighting

Substantially uniform lighting of an area without provision for Lamp lumen maintenance factor (LLMF)
special local requirements.
Ratio of the luminous flux emitted by the lamp at a given time in
its life to the initial luminous flux. Measures how the output of a
Glare lamp decreases with time.

Discomfort experienced when lighting is excessively bright

when viewed against the surroundings. Often the result of Lamp survival factor (LSF)
inadequately shielded lamps.
The fraction of the total number of lamps that continue to
operate at a given time under defined conditions and switching
Illuminance frequency.

The level of light on a surface; measured in lux (lx). Previously

called the illumination value. Can be used as a reference LED lamp
measurement of the performance of a lighting system as related
to the activity. (See lux and maintained illuminance.) Lamp containing a semiconductor LED that converts electrical
energy into light and a driver that converts supply power into the
current and voltage required by the semiconductor material to
Incandescent lamp emit light.

Lamp in which light is produced by a filament heated to very

high temperature by an electric current. Light output ratio (LOR)

Basic measure of the efficiency of a luminaire; the ratio of the

Induction lamp light emitted by the luminaire to the light output of the lamps
contained within it. Depends on the quality of the materials
Electrodeless lamp in which an induced electromagnetic field, used, as well as on the basic design of the luminaire.
generated by induction coils, excites the mercury atoms in the
glass tube, causing them to emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation,
which is converted to visible light by the phosphor coating on Light pollution
the inside of the tube.
Many older luminaires serving roads and car parks lose light
skywards, causing night-time sky glow. Apart from wasting
Indirect lighting energy, the appreciation of the night sky is lost and astronomical
observation is more difficult. Luminaires with a cut-off have a
Lighting used to illuminate an area by reflection from other much reduced effect on the night sky. Light pollution can also
surfaces. The fraction of the emitted luminous flux reaching the take the form of unwanted spill light to neighbouring properties
working plane directly, assumed to be unbounded, is 0–10%. and gardens.

Initial light output Louvre

The luminous flux from a lamp after 100 hours of operation. Open grid attached to a luminaire to control the light output,
the prime purpose being to prevent the lamp being seen from
normal viewing angles.
 Glossary xi

Lumen (lm) Restrike time

SI unit of luminous flux, describing the quantity of light emitted The time period between switching a lamp on and its achieving
by a lamp or received at a surface. full brightness from a ‘hot start’, ie the lamp has just been
switched off.

Luminaire
Run-up time
Light fixture or fitting; an electrical device used to create artificial
light and/or illumination, by use of an electric lamp. The time period between switching on a lamp and its achieving
full brightness from a cold start. The time can vary between
seconds for a tungsten filament lamp to several minutes for a
Luminaire efficacy mercury vapour lamp.

Light output of an entire luminaire (light fitting) divided by

the total power consumed by the lamps and ballasts. Equal Service period
to the lamp efficacy multiplied by the light output ratio of the
luminaire. Units are lumens per Watt (lm/W). The average lifetime of tungsten lamps, or the period by which
replacement is due for fluorescent or discharge lamps.

Luminous flux
Tubular fluorescent lamp
Amount of light produced by a lamp; usually measured in
lumens. Fluorescent lamp in a tubular form. Light is produced when
electricity excites mercury vapour, which in turn produces
short-wave ultraviolet light that causes a phosphor to fluoresce,
Lux (lx) producing visible light.

SI unit of illuminance or amount of light on a surface. One lux is

equal to one lumen per square metre (lm/m2). Tuneable LED

LED lamp capable of varying the colour of the emitted light.

Maintained illuminance

Illuminance at the time when maintenance is expected to take Tungsten filament lamp
place. Most values of illuminance that are quoted as applicable
to a store, eg 500–1000 lx, refer to this value. The time taken Incandescent lamp with a tungsten filament that emits light
to reach the maintained illuminance level would depend on the when it is heated.
lamp types and application.

Tungsten halogen lamp

Normalised power density
Incandescent lamp with a tungsten filament contained within
Power needed per m2 of floor to achieve an illuminance of an inert gas and a small amount of halogen. The tungsten and
100 lx on a horizontal plane with general lighting. Units are halogen cause a chemical reaction that increases the lifetime of
Watts per m2 (W/m2) per 100 lx. the lamp, and prevents the darkening seen in tungsten filament
lamps.

Power density
Watt (W)
Installed power of a lighting installation per unit area. Units are
Watts per m2 (W/m2). Measure of the electrical power that a light source consumes.
Part of the power input is transformed into light (visible
radiation), and the rest is considered as loss (heat and electricity).
Power factor For example, incandescent lamps transform 95% of the
electric power input into heat and only 5% into light, whereas
A measure of the phase difference between the voltage and fluorescent lamps and LEDs typically transform 80% of the
current in an alternating current (AC) supply. For lamp types electric power input into light, with 20% lost as heat and ballast
other than incandescent, the voltage and current waveforms are losses.
not exactly in phase with one another: thus the volts multiplied
by the amperes in the circuit may be higher than the Watts.
In such cases, the Watts represent the active power, and the
volts multiplied by the amperes represent the apparent power.
The power factor is the ratio of the absolute value of the active
power to the apparent power. Ideally, the power factor should
be as close to unity as possible. A low value of the power factor
increases the current load and the energy consumption. Most
high-wattage lamp circuits are designed to have a power factor
greater than 0.85.
© iGuzzini: Simulation based
on Colonys Shop, Zurich,
Switzerland
 1 Introduction 1

1 Introduction

This guide reviews typical current practice in retail lighting, and Although lighting products are becoming more efficient, longer
gives advice on how to achieve effective and energy-efficient opening hours and higher light levels have increased the energy
solutions, providing retailers, architects and designers with used for retail lighting. Also, inappropriate control strategies and
practical guidelines both on refurbishing existing lighting improper choice of light sources result in energy being wasted.
systems and on developing new lighting solutions for their
stores. There is substantial potential for energy saving and carbon
reduction. Reducing the energy consumed by retail lighting can
A checklist is included in the Appendix at the end of the guide directly increase profitability and reduce environmental impacts.
to provide quick guidance when carrying out refurbishment Modern lighting techniques and equipment, and more efficient
of existing lighting schemes, particularly when the existing light sources, provide opportunities for significant reductions
installation is more than 10–15 years old. in the use of energy, while achieving a greatly enhanced level
of illumination and improved visual appeal[2]. Cutting wasted
Lighting is critically important in retail environments. Light energy for lighting can reduce overheating in a store, and
attracts customers, creates atmosphere, and defines image. therefore cut the high cost of air conditioning.
Good lighting makes a store inviting from the outside and
creates the right atmosphere for the selling process, showing Quality should not be neglected when implementing measures
the products at their best and stimulating impulse buying. It also to increase lighting efficiency, and therefore attention should
improves the way the space is used and the time that people always be given both to the effectiveness and the quantity and
spend in the store, and provides good working conditions for quality of lighting in retail spaces. For best results in specific
the staff. retail spaces, a lighting professional should be consulted, ideally
in the early stages of project development.
However, the retail sector consumes more lighting energy
than any other commercial sector. Based on data published by
DECC[1] in July 2012, in 2011 retail lighting consumed 35% of the
energy consumption for lighting in the entire service sector, and
43% of the electricity used in the retail sector.
 This publication has been funded by BRE Trust

The essential guide to retail lighting

The essential guide to retail lighting

Lighting is critically important in retail environments. Light

attracts customers, creates atmosphere, and defines image.
Good lighting makes a store inviting from the outside
From the Foreword by Nigel Keen, Director of Property
Services, John Lewis Partnership:
The essential guide to retail
lighting
and creates the right atmosphere for the selling process, "For other retailers looking to develop a low energy lighting
showing the products at their best and stimulating impulse strategy we recommend BRE Trust's The essential guide to
buying. retail lighting. It provides retailers, architects and designers
with detailed practical information and guidelines to
This guide, written by BRE lighting experts, reviews typical explain how best to develop energy efficient, cost-effective
current practice in retail lighting and gives advice on how to lighting solutions for new and existing stores." Achieving effective and energy-efficient lighting
achieve effective and energy-efficient solutions, providing
retailers, architects and designers with practical guidelines
both on refurbishing existing lighting systems and on
developing new lighting solutions for their stores.
Cosmin C Ticleanu, Paul J Littlefair and Gareth J Howlett

Related titles from IHS BRE Press

LED lighting: A review of the current market and future
developments
FB 40

Office lighting
BR 415

Selecting lighting controls

DG 529

Cosmin C Ticleanu, Paul J Littlefair and Gareth J Howlett

Available from www.brebookshop.com

IHIHS BRE Press

IHS BRE Press, Willoughby Road ISBN 978-1-84806-322-8

Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 8FB

www.brebookshop.com
FB 56

9 781848 063228

FB56Retail LightingCOVER.indd All Pages 02/08/2013 14:14:54