Grocery’s Green Theater: Lights, Cameras, Action!

The ‘greening’ of retail design gathered momentum in recent years, but most design improvements go unseen by consumers.

The ‘greening’ of retail design gathered momentum in recent years, but most design improvements go unseen by consumers. That’s all changing. Several stores across the country have implemented a new technology that not only saves costs but adds much needed in-store theater to the part of the store that is typically unemotional and frankly, cold.  Imagine glass doored freezer cases that light up as the customer walks into the aisle.  

Schnucks’ flagship Des Peres, Mo. store was the first to introduced this technology to its family of stores last fall. Now, all Schnuck’s new construction and large-scale remodels utilize the dimming sensor feature. 

This dimming sensor technology not only provides retail with an average energy savings of seven percent and extends lamp life two to three years; but even more importantly brings an element of surprise and fun to the shopping experience for the shopper. While we won’t argue that bright, well-lit shopping facilities get rave reviews from consumers, the dimming elements can bring emotion, celebration and environmentally-friendly impact to the aisle that is typically little more than a sea of glass and steel.

The idea isn’t a new one. The Marsh Lifestyle Store (http://www.xr23.com/page.cfm/89) experimented with the use of dramatic differences in lighting and color temperatures more than five years ago in a variety of service departments including meat (red lighting), bakery (warm brown lighting) and seafood (cool blue lighting) -  but this technology offers a different twist, one in which the shopper is actively involved.