Turning Up The Lights May Turn Up Sales

I recently came across an interesting study released on the Social Science Research Network by an academic team led byKyle B. Murray of the University of Alberta in Canada.The study reports that the weather affects shoppers’ moods and ultimately their spending habits. For instance, shoppers that were questioned while being exposed to a sun lamp were willing to pay more (21% to 56% more for some items, in fact) compared to shoppers that were questioned in settings without a sun lamp.

Now, this got me thinking. How does this play out in the retail setting? We cannot control the weather but we can control the retail environment. Perhaps retailers can boost sales by bringing “good weather” inside. The research team suggests that installing bright lighting may help brighten shoppers’ temperament (and spending). Or to push that thinking even further, perhaps retailers could install large windows or fake good weather inside with natural elements. We see nods to nature in retail settings today from soft curves to organic materials and bright colors. In fact, the Retail Design Institute noted that biomimicry was a major trend in retail design this past year during their presentation at GlobalShop. Another trend; monochromatic. We see a lot of all white spaces. It really helps brighten the room and make the product pop.

So, in a world of retail renovation and innovation, consider what you could do to bring the “good weather” indoors. It may boost your sales.

Photo Source: Retail Design Institute