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Planned Lighting for Music Stores
very essential says James M. Ketch
In the Jesse French & Sons Store,
Manual James M. Ketch Illuminating-
Engineer ol the Lamp Department of
the General Electric Co., points to the
necessity of proper store lighting as
follows:
"The power of suggestion, always a
potent force in selling, largely depends
upon dramatic display and flowing
lines of light that lead shoppers from
one purchase to another. Recent de-
velopments in the form and efficiency
of light sources can bring new lighting
effects to store interiors, effects that
can range from delicate subtlety to
dramatic accent. Light, therefore, has
become an important architectural aid
in modernizing, a sales help that de-
mands urinuiy consideration in plan-
ning the sale of all merchandise.
"New lighting, as the first form of
modernizing, becomes a part of all the
other elements involved. It helps to
enhance the effect of redecorating and
remodelling, increases the value of re-
furnishing and rearrangement. And,
as it performs these functions, it be-
comes a salesman for the store. Out-
side, modern lighting works with news-
paper, radio and direct-mail advertising
to increase the attention and prestige
action, creates a desire for specific mer-
value of the store.
Reasons For Entering Store
"No mediocre window-lighting job,
therefore, is good enough. The modern
merchant pays a high salary for the
services of this outside salesman. Many
retailers charge between 25% and 50%
of the entire cost of first-floor space to
their show windows. They know that
people enter any store,
there are four principal reasons why
Obviously, since show windows were
designed for frequent changes, lighting
too should be flexible. New tools, new
techniques, new light sources and new
controls offer an infinite variety of
good ways to relight postwar windows.
New combinations of fluroescent and
filament lamps are being designed into
dramatic new combination lighting fix-
tures. Most of these newly-planned
controls use the large-area, low-bright-
ness comfort of fluorescent to provide
high levels of soft, pleasing overall
window lighting plus high intensity
downlighting for merchandise displays.
Added flexibility is achieved by making
inset filament fixtures directional thro-
ughout a range of thirty degrees so
that lighting may change as displays
are rearranged, lighting, as an inside
salesman, has a full size assignment.
It plays a major role in the first of
the three A's, ATTRACTION.
24
"There are as many ways to attain
these levels of illumination as there
are men to plan lighting jobs. Satisfy-
ing attraction-lighting can be obtain-
ed \vith spotlighting units or lamps,
reflector or projector floods, or by
fluorescent lamps in a full line of
snapes, lengths and colors. Plug-in
show case units can help to produce
powerful attraction-lighting.
Modern
light sources can contribute the added
values of color and color quality for
emphasis and attraction. Tints of col-
ored light in niches and on back-
grounds, as well as for decorative ac-
cents are available in a wide range of
modern lamps. For special occasions
or to create desired moods, a new light
source can contribute color as a basic
element in room decoration. Current
experience already indicates that it is
feasible and effective to employ differ-
ent types of illuminants in the same
area in order to influence circulation
through store-sections with lower sales
productivity.
ness gradation for wall and ceiling, as
well as lor featured merchandise, is
equally important.
Lighting for at-
mosphere is not limited in its effect.
A wide scope of new combinations of
modern light sources, fluorescent in
colors which produce blends and shad-
ings, which subtly create the desired
mood and character, augmented by ihe
punch and directional light of filament
lamps, can help to make prospective
customers stay in the store longer, see
and buy more merchandise, as well as
remember the store.
Atmosphere, however, cannot be ac-
complished by a single element. It must
be a summation and coordination of
all of the visible appointments in the
store—the decorations, color schemes,
furnishings, floor coverings, arrange-
ments and, to no small degree, the
lighting fixtures and patterns of bright-
ness which add up to an effect that
can be stimulating or relaxing, digni-
fied or gay, or produce effects that are
distinctly feminine, festive or modern.
Attractive and suitable atmosphere is
valuable not alone for its describable
effect upon shoppers and personnel, it
must als reflect the character of the
store and show and sell more merchan-
dise. Any merchant who has elected
the kind and price range of the mer-
chandise he expects to sell, has sel-
ected the location of his store, has
defined in general the clientele with
whom he hopes to do business. It is
natural therefore, that the atmosphere
in which he sells should be geared to,
and consistent with, both the atmos-
phere and the clientele. Especially is
this true of light. Lighting of the
kind suitable for high traffic, chain and
variety store operation, would probably
not be suitable for an exclusive shop
selling high priced gowns or motor
cars.
Each, however, can be made
functional and consistent and pleasing.
With the development of hundreds of
new light sources, light and lighting
become elements in interior design:
"The second of the three A's is
APPRAISAL. Every merchant knows
the problems represented by the wide
range of details that must be present-
ed to the public. Color, weave, pattern,
texture, all represent problems. Mer-
chandise ranges from black material
with 5% reflection to light materials
where the reflection factor is as high
as 80%. Modern lighting can help to
speed better buying, the kind that
sharply reduces returned merchandise
which in some stores reaches % of
total sales. In lighting for appraisal,
uniform general or foundation lighting
is only a base. It does not of itself
give the variety or interest so desirable
in modern interiors. In store layouts
where selling and circulation areas are
not well refined, accurate appraisal and
quick sales call for uniformly high illu-
"New light sources have changed the
mination over the entire space. With
pattern for the lighting of tomorrow.
controlled, direct lighting, added light
Long, slim, fluorescent tubes which lend
can be used to build up illumination
themselves to the framing of eye-level
and help focus attention on selling
displays, and circles of fluorescent to
areas. With 50 foot-candles of general
.furnish new variety in lighting pat-
lighting in merchandising areas, local-
terns, can contribute to all of the
ized lighting for accent and emphasis,
three A's.
can help to control interest, enliven the
"New store lighting combinations of
scene and make appraisals easier for
filament and fluorescent add new var-
both clerks and customers. Case and
iety, new sales power, to any modern-
counter display lighting may vary be-
ization program. When the piano and
tween 70 and 150 foot-candles and,
music store operator who is making
usually 100 foot-candles will achieve
planned lighting a part of his postwar
the desired results.
plans adds to these improvements the
many new and intriguing designs for
Lighting and Atmosphere
the fixtures of the future, smaller, less
conspicuous built-in or close ceiling-
"The third of the three A's is AT-
mounted luminaries, he has the ma-
MOSPHERE. High illumination alone
terials for the kind of lighting modern-
does not assure a cheerful room or
ization that sells merchandise."
pleasing atmosphere. Proper bright-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, MARCH, 1946