Lighting Technology will be Important Topic at EuroShop 2011
The entire range of modern lighting technology and design for store lighting will be on display at EuroShop, The Global Retail Trade Fair, to be held from February 26 – March 2, 2011, at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany. The lighting segment at EuroShop is among the fastest growing areas. In Hall 11 and parts of Hall 10, more than 150 international exhibitors will offer visitors the latest trends and innovations — from lighting used to promote sales, as an emotional design medium, in-store construction, as a corporate lighting concept, or to produce energy-efficient, sustainable lighting architecture. Many companies that are new in the store lighting market will exhibit at EuroShop for the first time.
According to the recent “Energy Management in Retail” study by the EHI Retail Institute, store lighting is among the top investment areas in 2010. Lighting generates the highest energy costs for retailers and — in conjunction with inefficient lighting systems — also drives up the costs for air conditioning and cooling of the sales floors. In addition, almost two thirds of the surveyed retail companies reported energy cost increases in the past year, and they expect these costs to rise even further in the future. Over the past years, many companies invested heavily into new lighting concepts, mainly to improve the presentation of merchandise. This led to often significant increases in energy consumption, a trend which must now be reversed. This can be achieved through targeted use of lighting for specific needs and the use of energy-saving fixtures and natural light.
The exhibitors agree that energy and economic efficiency will be the main topic at EuroShop 2011 and that the spotlight will be on digital lighting technology and the possibilities it offers. Due to technological improvements made in the last years, the energy-saving LED light bulbs have “today achieved the technical level to take over all lighting functions in the retail sector,” stated Martin Krautter, Group Leader PR/Direct Marketing, at Erco Company. In response, exhibitors have significantly expanded their product ranges. As a result of the increased economic lifetime and the lower energy consumption, the retail industry is expecting the LED technology to generate significant cost reductions.
According to the unanimous opinion of industry experts, digital lighting technology will revolutionize the lighting market. However, this does not mean the end for analogous lighting technology — there is still major development potential when it comes to energy efficiency. A new generation of top-quality light bulbs is expected to generate high light output at low energy consumption when used in connection with innovative illuminants, optimized light direction, and electronic control gear. EuroShop 2011 will also feature solutions specifically developed for use in stores with ceiling heights exceeding 19 feet, such as hardware stores, furniture stores, and shopping malls.
Using efficient lighting and lowering the wattage enables the retail industry to decrease their operational costs noticeably. However, only the overall concept including quality lighting design, effective lighting technology, intelligent lighting control, and efficient illuminants individually tailored to the corresponding sales floors will make use of all opportunities in connection with economical and energy-efficient store lighting. This can be achieved without making concessions to quality or modern, emotionalizing store design and interesting merchandise display. The trend among producers is moving towards the development of holistic solutions that are sustainable and offer the retail industry investment protection.
The growing competition forces retailers to adapt their sales floors to new design trends and consumer needs in increasingly short intervals. One third of the companies surveyed across all industry sectors are considering completely new store concepts after five years. Modern lighting design must be progressive and able to anticipate the trend towards modular and adaptable furnishing and visual merchandising concepts. “The focus will be on flexible lighting solutions that can be adapted accordingly to relocation or new organization of goods, merchandise groups, and product ranges. And if possible without tools," commented Dr. Sandra Kossmann, Managing Director of Bäro Company. Attractive staging of the sales floors using multimedia walls, interactive store windows, changing emotional scenes, dramatic lighting effects that turn the sales floor into a stage — these are the tasks of store lighting, and the EuroShop 2011 exhibitors will offer the corresponding innovative solutions. In many cases, the spotlight is already on LED.
Retailers can also expect innovations in the area of light management systems that ensure that the correct light is used at the right time and place in the store in order to optimally integrate natural light. The new technology also allows for completely new stylistic features of the bulbs. Minimalist design perfectly accentuates the advantages of LED technology. “Smaller, more flexible, more durable,” is the Bäro Company’s answer about new design trends in the lighting market. The company states that this also corresponds to retailers’ quest for resource protection, individualism, and sustainability. The Erco Company predicts that the design of individual light bulbs will recede “in favour of a ‘synaesthetic’ overall experience with staged lighting and a dynamically interpreted architecture.” Light fixtures are increasingly becoming invisible sources of light. According to the Ansorg Company, the trend is moving towards indirect illumination that reduces uncomfortable glare. However, exhibitors at EuroShop 2011 will also present new products in line with the contrary trend: light fixture design as a style and CI instrument, said the Ansorg Company. In this function, the fixtures take center stage when it comes to store design. Color and shape provide a special atmosphere and emotional accents, or emphasize a company’s corporate lighting concepts.
