Retail Shops
Shopfront Entry Lighting Design for Retail Shops
Place light where people work or read faces. Layer task light over ambient light and test glare from occupied positions.
Explore the ideas
Plan in this order
- Mark tasks, viewing angles and screen locations on the furniture plan before placing fittings.
- Separate regularly used tasks from the room's general lighting so each can be controlled independently.
- Test the proposed fitting and finish sample together. Glossy finishes can reflect a bright source directly into view.
Worked example
An entry mirror faces a bright exterior opening, making faces difficult to see after sunset.
Add diffuse vertical light at both sides of the mirror and a separate low-glare ceiling source. Check reflections from the doorway and from the position where shoes are changed.
How to test it
Check the space in daylight and after dark. Stand and sit where people actually use it, and check controls from the entry.
Apply it to this space
- Layout
- Keep the first few steps open and position the welcome display to one side of the natural entry path.
- Detail
- Use a durable threshold and lighting that makes the first merchandise zone distinct from the street.
- Trade-off
- A dense window story attracts attention but can obscure views into the store.
- View displays from across the street
- Walk in carrying a shopping bag
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