All retailers are interested in increasing sales, using advanced and detailed procedures in terms of marketing and displays techniques to influence purchase decisions and light is one of the key factors.
Research suggests that more than 65 percent of buying decisions are made in the physical store. All decisions are made consciously but the products and brands in a shop must pass our non-conscious filter to pop up as a viable choice. This amplifies the importance of the retailer to set the stage – since a lot of valuable decisions are made on site. Jens Nordfält, PhD in store marketing, is dedicated to research and education at the Stockholm School of Economics and at the ICA, one of the Nordic region’s leading retail companies.
“We know that the store experience affects the consumer significantly. Many customers allow themselves to be influenced of what to buy, but also what they should think about a product’s price and quality. In fact, it is impossible to consider a product without being influenced by the perceptual system. And the perception is mainly affected by visual impression”, Jens explains.
There are many factors that affect the decisions made in a shop; the product assortment, the brand, the pricing, how the merchandise is positioned and displayed both in the shop and on the shelves. Research has shown that the shop atmosphere is central; defined by the colours, lighting, scent, sound, design, size and shape. Correlations between feelings such as joy and excitement affect not only the time spent in the shop but also the share of purchases made.
