by Adam Jones

A store’s lighting plan can have as much to do with setting the stage for a retail environment as the merchandise on the shelves or design of the fixtures. A customer’s mood, attention and perception are all deeply affected by the lighting scheme of his or her surroundings, which is why proper lighting is essential to the creation of a space that puts people in a buying frame of mind.

Creating a lighting plan involves a careful balance between ambient and accent lighting. Ambient lighting provides the overall illumination for a space, whereas accent or “task” lighting is used to draw attention to a specific object or a particular area. For this article we will focus on accent lighting, which is best accomplished using a versatile, economical system known as “track.”

Track lighting has been around since the mid-1960s and has grown to become the leading method of providing accented lighting solutions in both home and commercial applications. The main manufacturers of track back in its early days were Halo, Juno and Lightolier. Each company had its own unique track system, and these systems remain the standard to this day. Regardless of which manufacturer you choose, every track system is made up of a just a few simple elements that require very little effort to install and maintain.

The first of these elements is the track itself. Whether its recessed, toggle bolted, screwed into studs, or suspended off of a ceiling, a track’s basic purpose is to provide current to the lights the same way the socket on a traditional lamp provides current to a bulb. A track is usually powered by either plugging it directly into an existing outlet or by connecting it to an electrical box in the ceiling called a “junction box.” Simply plugging in a run of track is the easier of these two methods, however the resulting look cannot compare to the cleaner, more professional appearance of a junction box. A junction box connection does require that you hire an electrician to complete the job, however, which adds to the overall expense of the installation. Though we strongly recommend connection through a junction box, it will be up to you to balance budget and appearance when deciding on how to power your track system. Once connected to an electrical source, track can be laid out in any number of patterns using 2, 4, 6, and 8-foot lengths with a series of connectors. These connectors come in “X,” “L,” “T,” straight and flexible configurations, which can accommodate several different angles and shapes.

The next element of track is the fixtures. Fixtures come in an exhaustive array of shapes, styles, and colors. They can be as simple as a plain white gimbal ring fixture or as complicated as a multi-colored glass pendant light. The two main categories of track light fixtures are low voltage and line voltage. Low voltage fixtures convert the 120V current provided by the track into 12V by means a transformer box in the base of the fixture. Low voltage fixtures use a smaller-than-normal filament in their bulbs which provide a “whiter,” more tightly focused light than that of their counterpart, line voltage fixtures. Line voltage fixtures attach to track without the use of a transformer and cast more light than low voltage fixtures. Line voltage fixtures are also significantly less expensive.

The final major element of a track system is the bulbs or ”lamps.” The two most common types of track light bulbs are spot and flood. A spot bulb has a more focused and brighter light than a flood, which lends it self to highlighting specific objects. A flood bulb provides a more general lighting pattern, which is well suited for “filling in the gaps” by illuminating a wider area than a spot. Low and line voltage fixtures both use different bulb sizes, the most common of which are MR 16s for low voltage and PAR 30s for line voltage.

Having discussed the basic elements of a track system, we will now focus on how to utilize track in the lighting plan of your store. First and foremost, it is important to make sure that your lighting plan abides by all local and state laws. In California, for instance, in addition to normal building codes, retailers must also abide by Title 24 Energy Efficiency Standards.

When deciding on how many lights to use in your store, the key is to not use as many lights as possible, but instead to effectively use the correct lights for the application. Remember, track lighting should not be used as the main light source for your retail space, and this should be reflected in your layout. Instead, track’s role as an accent light should be utilized to create contrast in your store, which in turn draws attention to specific areas or items. Intelligent use of accent lighting will also allow you to avoid outrageous utility bills, which it turn adds dollars to your bottom line.

When selecting fixtures themselves, the actual style of the unit is far less important than the bulb you select to light your store. A designer fixture may add a special touch to your retail environment, however it is important to remember that you are not selling the lights in your store, but the merchandise that you are lighting. If you’re trying to decide between using a 50W futuristic fixture or a simple 50W gimbal ring fixture, keep in mind that both lights use exactly the same kind of bulb. Remember, it is far more important to spend money on quality bulbs that make your product truly stand out than it is to have a light fixture that competes for attention with your merchandise.

Finally, its important to remember that if your track layout remains static, you’re not realizing the full potential of the system. Though the track itself may not be able to move, the fixtures you’ve selected can be repositioned in a number of ways. This ease of movement is one of track’s key advantages, which is why every sale, seasonal offering or remerchandising of your store should include a repositioning of your track fixtures so that each key area or item receives the attention it deserves.

To demonstrate how all of the above elements can work together to create an attractive retail space, here’s an example of a lighting plan we did for a local gift shop:

In the above plan, the track is set approximately 10’ high, the perimeter lights are held 5’ from the walls and the center lights are set on 8-10’ spans from each other. Window lights are set directly above the window pointed back at the displays below to draw the customers’ specific attention to the merchandise. Please keep in mind that this type of plan is very general, so if you have any questions regarding specific lighting applications we encourage you to post them on TRIO’s Online Forum so that our design staff can provide you with further assistance. Until next time, take care and happy retailing!