All posts by Joel

How Specialty Display Case Lighting Can Extend the Shelf Life of Fresh Meat

For more information on Promolux specialty LED lighting or to request a quote, click on the links to the right.

The retail case life of fresh beef is usually no more than 2 to 3 days, which is a big problem for the grocery store owners because most shoppers turn their noses up to beef, pork, or other meat items if that looks brown in its packaging.

The reason of meat discoloration and decomposition

The reason of meat discoloration is the growth of psychotropic bacteria of the surface of the meat. These bacteria accelerate the oxidation of meat pigments, which results in the gradual deterioration of the acceptable red color. The quality of the meat can be improved and its shelf life can be extended if the growth of contaminating bacteria can be controlled.

Another reason for meat discoloration and decomposition is the brightness and heat coming from the display case lighting. Low-quality display lights emit excessive heat and radiation that accelerates the growth of psychotropic bacteria, resulting in a reduction in the shelf life of meat.

Why bacteria grow on the meat surface

The bacteria that generally spoil meat products grow rapidly under heat. If the incubation temperature increases from 1° to 5° C, the growth will be doubled and it will be tripled if the temperature is increased to 10° C.

The actual surface temperature of steaks in typical food display cases is much higher than that recorded at the blower thermometer. So, it is normal that the growth rate of the harmful bacteria is higher, which means reduced shelf life.

Another important consideration is the intensity and duration of display illumination. Prolonged and intense period of illumination increases steak surface temperatures. Therefore, despite enhancing the appearance of beef, inferior display lighting is detrimental to the quality of meat products.

How specialty lights can extend meat shelf life

It is not possible for the owners of grocery stores to keep their fresh meat in dark, cold places to prolong their shelf life. The meat has to be displayed under bright light without a stint in its complexion. This dilemma can be solved by installing specialty food safe lights into the meat cases.

Specialty LED lighting is mainly used for energy savings, reduced maintenance costs, and less carbon emissions. However, a study conducted by the Kansas State University in 2012 found that LED lighting could extend the life of fresh meat products. According to researcher Kyle Steele, retailers can save on the operational costs of refrigerated cases by using LED lights in meat display cases. He also said that LEDs could extend the shelf life of meat products and retain their original color for a long time.

In comparison to fluorescent lighting for display cases, the researchers found LED display case lighting to give positive results in terms of operational costs, rancidity, and discoloration. Steele said that LED lighting helps most meat products keep colder internal temperatures, which helps extend product shelf life, which can be up to one day.

If you are looking for a solution to increase your meat shelf life, look no further. Promolux LED display lighting for meat cases can be your one-stop solution for fresh meat display case lighting. They are high color definition LEDs that emit less heat and UV radiation, perfect for protecting your meat products from untimely discoloration and decomposition.

How Proper Grocery Store Display Lighting Can Boost Your Sales

For more information on Promolux specialty LED lighting or to request a quote, click on the links to the right.

A survey conducted by the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) in 2012 revealed that a great number of retailers are unsatisfied with their lighting, and a majority of them believe that upgrading their lighting should increase sales.

Does it make sense that a grocery store can attract more customers and boost sales just by making the exterior and interior areas properly and interestingly illuminated? It does! Just apply your common sense. Do you not prefer shopping in a well-designed grocery store rather than in one that has a dull interior? We know you do and the same logic is applicable in case of lighting.

Check out how proper grocery store lighting can boost your bottom line.

Contrast lighting grabs attention

All the grocers should know this trick. Your store’s lighting should be high contrast as it makes perception easier, which, as a result, heightens the levels of customer attention. For example, a Russian wine and spirit store named Finist used a combination of dimmed and accent lighting that creates an intimate atmosphere while putting the focus on the central display modules, making it easier for customers to pick out products and navigate through the store.

Right lighting complements interiors

The lighting should complement the whole interiors of a store – its colors, designs, as well as the brand image. If your store has bright, warm hues and textures, the lighting colors should be at the cooler end of the spectrum. The designs of lighting should consist of simple forms and create a streamlined look and feel if that is what your brand represents. The positioning of ceiling, wall, and display case lighting should also be perfect so that the customers feel interested browsing through the store.

Right distribution of light

The right distribution of light is important as all the sections and corners of a grocery store do not need the same amount of light. Creating zones of bright illumination creates points of interest that draw attention to key products in individual sections selling such items as baked goods, fresh meat, vegetables, deli products, flowers, etc.

Good specialty lighting for retail display cases makes customers linger more, which can result in higher sales. Vertical illumination is important, especially along the aisles, as it makes it easier for customers to find their way around. And, needless to say, the more the customers walk around a grocery store, the higher the chances of their buying more goods.

Lighting has a proven influence on visibility, perception, visual attention, and overall general perception. So, it is simple that proper grocery store lighting will play an important part in increasing your bottom line.

If you want to boost your sales by using low radiation and balanced spectrum LED and fluorescent lighting that will highlight both your store and the products in the most attractive manner, you need to try Promolux. Their lights will show your fresh meat produce in their true vibrant colors and enhance the look of your grocery store.

Does Specialty Grocery Store LED Lighting Make Food Look More Appetizing?

For more information on Promolux specialty lighting for retail merchandising or to request a quote, click on the links to the right.

Modern day grocers have discovered a secret that has long been known to the people in movie and jewelry industries: lighting matters. New generation LED lighting for retail merchandising is a significant improvement over traditional grocery store lighting. LED lights have already been known for being energy- and cost-effective and now they are efficient in luring customers too by making the products look more attractive. Sounds too good to be true, right?

Many retailers nowadays are experiencing a less than three-year payback on their retail display case lighting due to the installation of super-efficient LEDs that save them on energy, material, maintenance, and replacement costs. Check out how the lights work in making the food look more appetizing.

LED lighting makes food shine

The LED lighting system for open deck cases offers an extra-appetizing lighting solution by making the products shine with crisp LED light. They literally transform the butcher and seafood counters and display cases that contain packaged dairy products, fresh meat, and deli items. The vivid, long-lasting visual performance is possible because the lumen ratings of LEDs are higher than fluorescent lamps. So, they have easily replaced the traditional fluorescent lighting for display cases.

LEDs provide consistent lighting

LEDs make the food attractive because they can provide more consistency in comparison to fluorescent lighting. Good-quality LED display case lighting puts the focus on goods while they themselves remain hidden behind the cases. In addition, they can deliver uniform lighting to the entire case and they are available for canopy and undershelf applications. They provide bright and crisp yet visually comforting light that can truly highlight any product.

LEDs make the food color pop up

New generation LED lighting can almost reproduce the true color of outdoor illumination and they burn less lighting power than fluorescent lighting. As a result, they can make the food colors literally pop – green for vegetables, red for meat, and yellow and other bright colors for fruits. LED bulbs optimize individual colors, resulting in turning the oranges like orange sapphire, tomatoes rosier, and the broccoli like emerald green. The stunning appearance ultimately lures the customers to buy the products.

LEDs provide suitable options

LEDs are available in a variety of display lighting options, giving the grocer’s options to position the lights the way they want. You can find them in various lengths and the feature of warm and cool lighting tones. Grocers can easily use a bluer or a cooler tone for the freezer case and a warmer tone for the produce department to optimize the food’s appearance. A number of well-known retailers have already switched their preference to LED lighting for their various outlets. Retailers like Walmart, Target, Publix, Winn-Dixie, and Whole Foods Market use LEDs in their food display lighting.

Thinking about switching to LEDs for your grocery store lighting? Promolux can help you with their high-end LEDs that are ideal for both food and non-food merchandising. Their display case LEDs are just perfect for highlighting products with amazing colors.

Why Color Temperature Is Important in Grocery Store Lighting

For more information on Promolux specialty lighting for retail merchandising or to request a quote, click on the links to the right.

Good lighting has a significant positive effect on sales in a retail environment. It strongly effects both perception and purchasing behavior of the customers. However, a light source has many variables that determine if the produced light has the desired characteristics and effects. These variables must be accurate in a grocery store setting so that the displayed products are discerned with their best appearance and color.

Color temperature is one of the most significant variables in grocery store lighting.

What is “color temperature”?

Color temperature indicates to which color spectrum a light source renders. The amount of light and heat produced by a lighting source is determined by what spectrum of color it belongs to.

Color temperature is an important aspect in any lighting design, be it a business or academic setting. However, it is of greater significance in retail applications where light and heat produced by a lighting source affect the quality and appearance of products.

Why color temperature is important in grocery store lighting?

A store owner should carefully choose the store lighting with the right color temperature to ensure that the products are presented in the best possible light.

Differences in color temperature can result in variations in color rendering. If a light source has a spectrum that is missing one or two colors or has very small portion of specific colors, it will not be able to represent the true color of products. Furthermore, if the light source is very bright, customers will not see the products in their true colors due to glare.

Color temperature is particularly important in grocery store lighting as different colors of light have different psychological impacts. The warm lights have a lower color temperature and the cool lights have a higher color temperature. So, you have to use lights with higher color temperature in the fresh produce and meat display cases as they tend to spoil quickly under heat.

Another method used to measure the quality of a light source is Color Rendering Index (CRI). It measures how accurately a light source can render the color of an object in comparison to a natural light source. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 100 and natural light has a CRI of 100.

It has been said that the higher the CRI, the better a light source is in rendering the natural colors accurately. However, this method has become outdated and inadequate in terms of today’s technology. An incandescent lamp has a CRI of nearly 100 but it has a poor color rendering and distorts colors with an excessive yellow glow with too little blue content. So, unlike color temperature, CRI cannot be an ideal yardstick to measure the quality of a light source.

The quality of grocery store lighting cannot be compromised where appearance is of paramount importance. So, to have the best option for your grocery store lighting, choose Promolux specialty lighting for retail merchandising as they have a balanced spectrum and contain all necessary colors of light in the right amount. The lights, with their right color temperature, can dramatically improve the appearance of products by allowing their colors to appear clear and vivid.

Why High Quality Lighting is Essential for Your Grocery Store’s Food Display Cases

For more information on Promolux lighting for grocery stores or to request a quote, click on the links to the right.

There is nothing worse than a dark and shadowy food display case in your grocery store, which of course defeats the purpose of the display. Fortunately, lighting manufacturers present a variety of options for bringing your food display case to life. Whether you hope to show off meat and deli products, fresh produce, or seafood with display case lighting, making the right selection can make a large difference when trying to present the most attractive and long lasting products.

Meat display case lighting

One of the most important sections of a grocery story is its refrigerated meat display case. However, without the proper lighting, meat products will not sell as fast and will quickly lose freshness. Be wary of regular fluorescent bulbs. Such lighting can alter the smell, flavor, and color of meat and increase the rate of spoilage, thus reducing product sales.  Using the proper meat display case lighting, such as Promolux specialty lighting for retailers, will ensure increased shelf life and sales.

Deli display case lighting

Inferior display lighting in refrigerated supermarket cases can cause fading and discoloration in processed meats. Certain deli products, such as cooked ham, are extremely sensitive to the effects of light. This means that colors will fade and look less appetizing, simply due to the lighting choices made. The best deli display case lighting uses bulbs that are designed for true color definition and have a more balanced visible spectrum.

Produce display case lighting

Customers are, rightfully, very choosy in selecting produce that is visually appealing. This is especially true when opting for organic items, as they often look different from produce that has had preservatives and sprays applied to it during the harvesting process. In addition, radiation and heat from ordinary produce display case lighting can lead to product dehydration and shrinkage, increasing waste of unsold products. The following tips can help create produce display case lighting that attracts loyal customers:

  • Use light that reveals the true colors of the produce
  • Select lighting that will not damage or cause products to prematurely spoil
  • Choose balanced spectrum lamps to show off true, vibrant colors and extended shelf life of fruits and vegetables
  • Look for lighting that emits lower levels of ultraviolet radiation and heat
Seafood display case lighting

It would be foolish to overlook the importance of high quality lighting for the seafood display case. Do not make the mistake of putting just any lighting in this area. This is because fish and seafood tend to spoil faster than other meats. Grocers inadvertently reduce shelf life even further by using display lighting that emits too much heat. This causes the temperature to rise to unsafe levels, meaning the products will spoil and must be discarded. Selecting the right seafood display case lighting can save money and attract customers. Select lighting that uses safe spectrum technology, as this is the foundation for food safe lighting.

Lighting choices are extremely important in a variety of display cases. Not only are customers visual creatures, but they also expect high quality and fresh products. Take the time to make the right decision and you will see the benefits.

The Guide to Choosing the Right Lighting for Grocery Food Display

For more information on Promolux specialty LED lighting or to request a quote, click on the links to the right.

Selling the right products is not enough for retailers nowadays. The way the products are displayed has become the key point of difference in enticing customers and increasing the profit margins. In most cases, customers judge the quality and freshness of products from their appearance.

It has now been well established that lighting can completely change the way fresh products and food items are displayed at the grocery stores. So, it is important to choose the right lighting for grocery store food display cases. It affects customers’ perception and purchasing behavior and in turn boosts sales in a retail environment.

What are the factors that you should consider before buying lighting for your grocery store food displays?

Food display lighting should emit less heat and UV radiation

Lights that emit heat and discharge UV radiation are not a good fit for food display because both heat and UV radiation are harmful to food products. Radiation and heat can decompose and discolor food items, leading to spoilage. So, the right food display lighting should emit less heat and UV radiation.

In addition, cooling costs make a significant share of grocery store outlay. So, it is counterproductive to use a lighting source that adds heat to your refrigerated space.

Food display lighting should have a balanced spectrum

If the lighting source renders fruits and other food products lifeless and the colors dull, it is going to be a tough sell to get customers for those products. The yellow or white spectrums of ordinary lights cause merchandise to look insipid and unappealing. Food display case lighting should be chosen with a balanced spectrum so that their illumination highlights the natural colors of food products.

Food display lighting should produce even illumination

Normal fluorescent lighting used in food display spreads illumination in all directions, creating shadows, hotspots, and glare spots, which distract the shoppers’ attention from food products to other spots. However, good display case lighting should provide directional and uniform illumination so that the products are more highlighted.

Why Promolux LED lighting is the perfect choice

The International Journal of Engineering Science and Innovative Technology conducted a study that found that a majority of customers (85 percent) were willing to spend more time in a store if it is attractively colored and well lit. The respondents particularly mentioned that good lighting improved their shopping experience by helping them select the right products within a short time.

Installing Promolux LED lights for food display in grocery stores increases products’ appeal and reduces operating costs. Promolux LED lights can accurately reveal the original colors of food, making them look appealing.

Promolux LEDs produce less heat than other lighting sources and they also perform better and last longer in cooler locations. Incandescent and fluorescent light sources are a poor choice for grocery store refrigerated food lighting because they do not perform well or last longer in cool temperature.

Promolux LED lights, with their balanced spectrum and low level of heat and UV radiation, are better than regular supermarket fluorescent lamps and are perfect for any food display lighting project.

How Grocery Store Lighting can be Used as a Branding Tool

For more information on Promolux specialty lighting for retail merchandising or to request a quote, click on the links to the right.

Lighting can be an afterthought in the design of many offices and stores but it is the key to success in the retail industry. Lights are mostly used for purely functional purposes but they do much more in grocery stores.

Grocery store lighting can be a deciding factor in the sales and bottom line of a store. It has noteworthy impact on the potential customers. It can also play a significant role in creating the brand image of a store.

Is your brand cool and modern? Does it represent something vibrant and energetic? Does your brand boast of supplying only the fresh produce from the local firms? Does your brand only cater to a specific consumer category? Well, you can enhance your brand ideas with strategic lighting in your store. Lighting is a powerful tool that can imprint your brand on the mind of your customers like nothing else can.

Sounds amazing, right? Well, let’s see how grocery store lighting can be used as a branding tool.

Don’t get too fancy

Just don’t do it even if your brand ideas demand the lighting to be so. Lighting has its costs and fancy lighting may have a toll on your earnings and bottom line. So, always look for the cost-effective but good-quality alternatives that have longer lifespan and sustainability. In addition, something too fancy – whether it be lighting or decoration – does not create a good brand impression on modern-day consumers. So, choose lights that combine the value of their desired look with other variables.

Convey the message that reflects your brand

Maintaining a consistent, on-brand store atmosphere is one of the significant branding challenges and the right grocery store lighting can play a key role in achieving such an atmosphere. Lighting can help set a particular mood in your store, in line with the statement your company reflects. If there is any specific color scheme involved in the brand of your company, lighting can help reflect that. Perfect grocery lighting can also deliver the message that you want to convey to the potential customers. In a word, if used skillfully, lighting can protect the integrity of a company’s brand image.

Choose color adaptable lights

Sales drive a grocery store and things that drive sales are fresh produce, meat, and other products displayed on their cases with their freshest and most appealing look. Products will jump off the rack and into the hands of your customers when those tomatoes look like red cherries, flowers look like they are just nipped off, vegetables like green emeralds and meat look bright red.

Protecting the safety and highlighting the freshness of products is vital for building a brand image for a grocery store. LED lights are very good in color adaptability while most of other light sources may require colored filters.

Promolux grocery store lighting is the best option that you can choose for creating a brand image of your grocery store. The lights are available in practical and functional designs that can show your products in their best condition.

A Guide to Buying Lighting for Your Grocery Store

For more information on Promolux specialty lighting for grocery stores or to request a quote, click on the links to the right.

Retail lighting, especially the lighting for a grocery store, has to be something different. It has to be top-shelf to reach clear to the bottom shelf and has to be bright without being overpowering. Grocery store lighting should cast light with highly accurate color while eliminating shadows and dark spots. Above all, the lighting has to be high quality but with minimal maintenance and low energy costs.

Let’s take a look at the types of lighting you should consider for installing in your grocery store.

Accent lighting

It is very important for a grocery store to highlight its products because it helps customers to make a decision about purchasing. Your displayed merchandise should look attractive and that can be done with good-quality accent lighting.

Properly installed accent lighting can make the color, texture, and shape of the displayed products clearly visible to the customers. Energy-saving fluorescent and LED accent lighting can bring out the best in your merchandise, which in turn will allure customers to purchase products and increase your store’s appeal while reducing operating costs and boosting sales.

Ambient lighting

Just like the accent lighting, ambient lighting is another important aspect for a grocery store. Accent lighting emphasizes on highlighting the products while ambient lighting makes the overall atmosphere comfortable and homely for the customers. The ambient lighting of a grocery store should act as a guide to the customers. The shoppers should not feel confused inside the store and the lighting should help customers pinpoint what they are looking for. The easier it is for customers to find their way and desired products, the more likely they are to walk around.

Display case lighting

The display case lighting is probably the most important lighting for your grocery store because your sales and bottom line depends on how attractive and fresh the produce, meat, and other items look. You should choose lighting that provides bright, uniform light but emits low heat and UV radiation. Promolux specialty display case lighting comes with a balanced spectrum, emits low heat and UV radiation, and delivers rich, vibrant color without fading or discoloring your products.

Exterior lighting

Just like the interior areas, the exterior of a grocery store is also important because it creates a good first impression on the potential customers. In fact, this could act as a deciding factor for a customer whether to enter your store or look into somewhere else. Site lighting should send a warm invitation to your customers to walk through the door. There should also be a well-lit, inviting parking lot to greet the shoppers.

Promolux offers a one-stop solution for various lighting needs for your grocery store. It sells both fluorescent and LED lighting that offers reliability, long life, and durability. The lights are also energy saving and cost-effective, saving your costs on maintenance and replacement.

Promolux lighting for food retail applications displays your products in their best, natural color without emitting much heat and harmful UV radiation and creates a comfortable environment for the shoppers.

The Benefits of Using Specialty Lighting for Retail Merchandising

For more information on Promolux specialty lighting for retail merchandising or to request a quote, click on the links to the right.

Did you know that using specialty retail lighting might improve the quality of your business? It sounds simple, and that’s because it is! Selecting the right lighting for your products can provide incredible benefits that you may not have ever thought of before.

Shelf life extension

Selling time-sensitive meat and produce is a constant battle. Order too much of an item, and your product may spoil. Supply too little, and your customers leave empty handed and disappointed. To eliminate part of this struggle, you can work towards shelf life extension using Promolux lighting. Display case lighting is often installed, without meaning to be, at the sacrifice of the products. Using the low radiation light in all open refrigerated displays will reduce the amount of heat and damaging UV radiation that enters the cases. Balanced spectrum lamps used in produce displays can also contribute to extended shelf life of fruits and vegetables as well as show off their true and vibrant colors.

Improve food safety

Ensuring that your food is safe and meeting all health codes is very important. Striking a balance between selling all perishable foods in a timely manner and wasting as little as possible can be tricky to achieve. Increased food safety from using Promolux is one way to achieve this goal. Food will spoil prematurely and promote bacteria and pathogen growth when exposed to light and heat. Using grocery store lighting that filters out more radiation will prolong shelf life and protect the freshness of sensitive products. Installing the correct lighting will reduce the emission of damaging visible spectrum and UV wavelengths. As a result, product shrinkage may be reduced by 30 to 50 percent.

An inviting atmosphere

While shelf life and food safety are top concerns, creating an inviting atmosphere for your customers should also be a priority. Think about your fresh meat display case lighting and ask yourself if it’s doing all it could be to help promote your product. Does the food appear to be good quality and fresh, or is it lackluster and uninviting? Using lamps that are designed for true color definition give off a more balanced range of wavelengths, resulting in products begin displayed in their true colors. Ensure that all products look their best and are not distorted by inappropriate light. This requires understanding the effects of lighting on different kinds of items.

Cost saving results

This may surprise you, but utilizing all three suggestions above may result in savings for your business. Consider the reasons why:

  • Less food is wasted
  • Products are sold more quickly
  • Produce spoils less rapidly
  • Shrinkage of food is reduced
  • Customers are more likely to purchase items

Using specialty retail lighting can have great benefits for your business. The rewards of thinking through and adjusting your lighting choices accordingly may pay off in dividends. Consider the atmosphere, food safety, and shelf life extension when designing your store lighting and you will reap the benefits of using Promolux specialty lighting for your retail merchandising.

How Grocery Store Lighting Influences Your Shoppers

For more information on Promolux lighting for grocery stores or to request a quote, click on the links to the right.

Retail lighting is a key component to changing the outlook and ambiance of a grocery store and to changing the shopping experience of the customers. A successful journey of a customer through a grocery store largely depends upon the grocery store lighting as it helps a brand to tell a story about the store and showcased products.

Lighting can help set the customer’s mood, underline some particular products, and enhance the entire shopping experience. Check out some ways in which grocery store lighting influences the shoppers.

Lighting increases brand value

Brand value matters, especially in case of influencing general customers. People trust brands and do not hesitate to spend more to purchase their products, thinking that they will be worth the money. Proper grocery lighting can create a brand experience that works as a catalyst in convincing the customers to put trust on the products and to return to the store.

Lighting makes products attractive

Poor-grade lighting makes a store look dingy that affects the customers psychologically. For example, cold cuts and other meatpacking look spoiled if they are bathed in poor-quality fluorescent lights. The result? The store will constantly lose sales. So, the display case lighting – whether for deli or for dairy products – matters a lot in influencing the shoppers.

Proper lighting makes shopping easier

Have you ever shopped somewhere where you had to struggle to see products inside the display cases? You definitely do not want your customers to go through the same struggle. All products in your store should be easily visible to the customers. So the shelve and display case lighting should well planned and installed accurately.

Lighting affects the perception of color

The color of your products plays a vital role in retail environments, especially in grocery stores, where it is very important to present the accurate rendering of food items and other products in an appetizing way to attract the customers. Promolux specialty retail lighting is high quality and uses a full and balanced spectrum of colors. You can use Promolux lamps in your grocery store to give the customers a better visual perception of colors of products.

Proper lighting makes customers comfortable

Customers will not be interested to visit your store if they feel uncomfortable while shopping. Use grocery store lighting that will provide comfort and tranquility to the customers. Warm colors like shades of orange and red are tempting, inviting, and make the shoppers happy; and happy customers are more likely to stay longer in your store. On the other hand, cool colors like shades of blue and green can create a soothing effect. So, depending on the products, paint the particular sections of your store in different colors and use proper lighting to create that happy, warm, or soothing effect.

Quality grocery store lighting not only attracts more customers and increases sales but also beautifies the store’s interiors and adds to the brand value. Promolux can help you in this case with their specialty merchandising lighting products.