Why Do People Want To Shop In The Dark?

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As the owner of a shop I have given the subject of lighting a great deal of thought and have carefully illuminated my store to show off my goods to their best advantage. I am not an expert in retail techniques by any means but I thought that it would go without saying that the customers ought to be able to see what they are buying! Now I have cause to question my approach.

Bridal

I sell wedding dresses and these often feature beads and crystals to add sparkle. As this sparkle is not very obvious with bright ambient lighting I have positioned the changing rooms to the rear of the shop where there is little natural light and have used spotlights to accent the dresses when the brides look in the mirror. This way the gowns sparkle under the spots and their full glory is revealed.

The rest of the shop is light and airy allowing potential customers see the dresses and identify the true colours of the bridesmaids’ attire and prom wear. The system has worked well for me which has made me all the more curious about the lighting techniques employed by some other shops.

The High Street

Whilst most major retailers on the high street have adopted bright and consistent lighting throughout their stores, making all of the goods clearly visible, others have now taken the opposite approach. Abercrombie and Fitch and their offshoot Hollister have opted for low lighting bordering on darkness and I am left wondering why.

It never occurred to me that a shop requiring night vision goggles would be a good idea. Hollister stores are so dark that it is disorientating and you can hardly see the clothes let alone the prices. Perhaps it is all a plot to ensure that you don’t comprehend the enormity of what you are spending until you reach the till!

Casino Atmosphere

Amidst complaints about the lighting effects from parents who have lost their kids in the gloom, Abercrombie and Fitch have explained that the dim lighting is employed to create the feeling of a casino or club. In other words to give the sense of a cool place where you might want to linger.

I note that casinos and clubs are also places where you are likely to spend a lot of money! I believe that the clue to the low lighting tactic lies in the fact that it is the older generation who don’t like it. It is the oldies with fading eyesight who stay away so making it a cool and trendy hangout for the impressionable youngsters in the absence of the old farts! This is a devious but possibly successful ploy.

Horses for Courses

Clearly a dark shop where you can’t see what you are buying nor how much it is going to cost you has its commercial merits but I think I will stick to my more traditional lighting. Persuading a teenager that a hoodie must be cool because the shop is like a nightclub is one thing but expecting a bride to buy a £1000 wedding dress when she can’t even see it is quite another! Different tactics work for different merchandise but I am really not sure about the darkness idea whatever Hollister might think.

I wouldn’t buy anything I couldn’t see properly and the low lighting makes me feel suspicious. For the record, I also find their half nude tangoed models on the door rather off-putting and I am certainly not going to try that one at my shop!
Sally Stacey is a keen writer and business owner who divides her time betwen writing and running her bridal shop