What can be said about the pandemic that hasn’t already been said? It is a topic that has dominated conversations around the world for the last two years. But as things stand, it seems that there is just a flicker of light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel, and the retail industry is one that is lighting the way forward through unique decorative lights that highlight the very best in architectural design and festive delight. Here, RLI takes a look at why this is an important factor in retail destinations and what they offer.
Christmas lights, which are also known as fairy lights, festive lights or string lights are lights that are used for decoration during the festive period. The custom itself goes back to when Christmas lights were decorated with candles, which symbolised Christ being the light of the world. Today they serve many purposes and can be a key attraction in drawing large crowds of people to the sights of shopping centres, retail stores and leisure activities.
In November, Saks unveiled its world-famous holiday window display and theatrical light show, and the 2021 edition featured a special appearance by none other than Michelle Obama, former first lady of the United States and founder of the Girls Opportunity Alliance, and a performance by the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. Designed and implemented by MK Illumination, this year’s light show features a dazzling display of over 700,000 programmed LED lights on the 10-storey façade of the building. The legendary six windows focus on the theme of reconnecting with friends and loved ones during the holiday season.
The annual Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Resort & Gardens: Pine Mountain in Georgia features eight million lights that sparkle in the wooded landscape of this resort complex. Woodland displays depict such holiday scenes as the March of the Toy Soldiers or nature themes such as Snowflake Valley. Two beach scenes with moving lights tell the stories of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and the Nativity. The resort’s onsite Christmas Village features shopping, dining, and Santa. Plus, guests are able to drive through these displays from the comfort – and warmth – of their own vehicle. If you don’t feel like driving, guests can choose to ride the open-air Jolly Trolley around the property.
Last year, Orchard Road bloomed with poinsettias, magnolias and Christmas roses when on 13 November President Halimah Yacob triggered the annual Christmas light-up. With the theme “Christmas in Bloom”, the shopping street was decked out with more than 68km of LED fairy lights that stretched from Tanglin Mall to Plaza Singapura. A giant augmented reality outdoor projection featuring Singapore’s tourism mascots Merli and Friends, flashed on the side of Mandarin Orchard Singapore every evening between 8pm and 10.30pm. The Orchard Road Business Association (Orba), organiser of the yearly light-ups, said the blooming decorations signify Singapore’s journey of hope and resilience on the path back to normality. The festive lights on Orchard Road came on nightly until 2 January this year.
According to Diana Laskaris and Sue Reddel, romance flourished during Christmas in Prague. The Old Town Square dazzled with brilliant lights, a large twinkling tree, and fairy tale holiday decor, bringing a glow to the city as well as to the hearts of those spending holiday moments there. Historical buildings, beautiful churches, and architecture, ranging from Romanesque and Baroque to Gothic, add a touch of drama to the storied city landscape. Christmas lights displays add to the festive atmosphere as locals and visitors alike enjoy the city’s beauty. The unique glow of Christmas lights against the backdrop of the stately buildings make for an unforgettable scene and example of European holiday spirit.
Luxury retailer Harvey Nichols set the bar last year for incredible festive lighting. After declaring a collective ‘bah, humbug’ to Christmas 2020, their 2021 campaign offered a different sentiment that was designed to spread joy and happiness with bright colours and beaming lights. Transforming the facade for the festive season, last year the iconic Harvey Nichols windows featured modern stained glass panels, flooded with light to reflect a glorious pattern of Christmas-coloured hues inside and outside the windows. Bringing a dose of joy to the streets of Knightsbridge, the festively vibrant window displays were adorned with glistening lights and hand painted baubles that wrapped around the flagship store. Each window featured different colours to evoke emotion; yellow creates a sense of energy and excitement, orange grabs attention with a happy and uplifting effect, and blue projects feelings of calmness and tranquillity. A desirable edit of luxury giftable items were showcased in the windows, from stocking fillers to their iconic Harvey Nichols hampers.
The UK also saw the return of the Norwich Tunnel of Light for the sixth consecutive year from the 16 November until the 5 January. A popular Christmas attraction, The Tunnel of Light in Hayhill is believed to be the largest one of its kind and consists of over 57,000 LED lights. The renowned tunnel is run by Norwich Business Improvement District (BID), and attracts thousands of visitors to the city every year. Stefan Gurney, Executive Director of Norwich Business Improvement District (BID), said: “We were delighted to bring the Tunnel of Light back to Norwich last Christmas, with refreshed LED’s so it shone even brighter. We know The Tunnel of Light is a much loved attraction and it helped create the feel of festive wonder in the city centre. We were glad that people could enjoy it once again.”
Globally-renowned lighting company MK Illumination lit up the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, UAE as its inaugural installation celebrated its tenth anniversary year. For the first time, the entire mall was decked with festive lighting that was supplied by MK Illumination Türkiye. The design was built upon repeated references to the number ’10’, numerous rectangular and circular numbers forming ’10’ appear in a myriad of sizes. The concept reveled in a show of luxury and elegance, and this is expressed in the gold and silver colours, the crystals, and the reflective materials used alongside the lighting. One, the number ‘10’ consisting of ten small circular pieces, is suspended under the main galleria amongst multiple light curtains, which shimmer like golden rain. The second is the 10th Anniversary Chandelier in the fashion dome. Composed of 16m light chains, they also incorporate many small gold, silver and white materials alongside crystals and large frames. The project, commissioned by Majid Al Futtaim, was quite an undertaking.
The time when interior design was separate to lighting is long gone. With everything that has happened in recent years, business competition has intensified and brands are now competing for customer attention by targeting all the senses of the consumer. This view is put across by Omnify in their article ‘The Importance of Lighting Design in Retail Stores’.
Their article goes on to explain that, of all the senses consumers have; lighting has a direct influence on their moods, with 80 per cent of sensory information coming from their eyes. From a retail perspective, lighting highlights architectural elements, product qualities and creates virtual spaces. This affects how we feel in a space, our opinion of a product, and ultimately, our decision to purchase or not.
Going further, the article explains that while lighting may be an afterthought for many retailers who are just starting out, retail lighting goes much further than just provide simple ambiance. The function of lighting in a retail format can potentially have an extremely rich impact on your customer experience. Studies conducted have gone so far as to suggest that retail lighting design can influence a window shopper into becoming a loyal customer.
An article entitled ‘The Impact of Lighting in Retail Design’ by Designing Buildings explains that in the world of retail with ever more savvy shoppers and image-conscious consumers, first impressions are everything. From the signage to window displays, the smell of premises to its cleanliness, most customers will make up their minds about a shop within the first few seconds. And once they’ve been made, first impressions are hard to change, so it is important get it right. One of the biggest influences on the look and feel of any retail space is lighting. From soft and subtle to bright and bold, the architectural style of lighting will have a big impact on how customers perceive a business whether they realise it or not.
The world’s largest sporting goods retailer, Decathlon, is famed for stocking a wide range of sports products, from basic supplies like tennis rackets to advanced extreme sports goods such as scuba diving equipment. Spanning over 35,000sq ft and two floors in the Trinity Leeds shopping and leisure centre, their latest store aims to entice customers with a modern aesthetic and bright and inviting storefront. With the help of TRILUX’s award winning E-line system as well as other uniquely specified solutions, visitors to the store can experience a distinctive and unique optic effect that continuously engages them throughout the shop floor and encourages them to continue exploring further.
Recently opened hotel, The Londoner Hotel, which hosted the Global RLI Awards 2021 back in September days after it opened, features 350 guest rooms, suites and a stunning tower penthouse with panoramic views, as well as meeting spaces, an impressive ballroom and Wellness Retreat. Inverse Lighting were appointed to create the lighting scheme across the hotel and they partnered with linear lighting experts, LEDFlex, to fulfil a number of elements of the design. Within the main reception area, the lighting was installed to create an intimate and soft tone, whilst the hotel’s grand staircase has been illuminated with LEDFlex’s Eco Flex 60 in 2700K.
Sharjah, UAE
One company that is ahead of the curve in architectural lighting is MK Illumination. Based in Austria with offices across the world, the MK Themed Attractions division specialises is creating one-of-a-kind themed solutions for attractions that draws on their experience in the amusement park, festival and fun fair sectors. Meanwhile their True Light Experiences combine top-quality, innovative lighting products, a design-driven approach and an understanding of their client’s needs to create unique experiences for clients in multiple sectors that include public spaces, retail real estate, leisure, travel retail, corporate business, travelling amusements and festivals.
Inaugurated back in September last year was the newly renovated Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany. The new stadium has been lit up by Signify, and at the heart of the Red Bull Arena’s new lighting system is the interactive and connected lighting solution. Interact Sports made it possible for lighting across the entire stadium to be controlled through one dashboard, from the pitch, to the catering areas, to the façade. Since last season, every moment of the action has been rendered crystal clear, flicker-free and compliant with international broadcasting standards with Philips ArenaVision LED floodlights. As part of the project, the new stadium fan shop and individual hospitality areas will also enjoy an upgraded lighting experience, all connected through Interact Sports.
X-Madrid is a revolutionary retail concept, barely known in Europe and designed to respond to new generations of consumers, with 60 per cent of experiences compared to 40 per cent of retail. This differential element has allowed a new positioning in the sector, thus overcoming one of the main challenges, connecting with a young audience, who knows new technologies, who is influenced by fashion and new trends, and who seeks new experiences and emotions. The large square is the centre of attention of the mall with urban and fun mobile interactivities that connect the visitor with unique lighting and technology.
The world-class hypermarket and destination of Sharjah Central Mall has seen the implementation of a lighting control system from Pharos Architectural Controls, who were chosen for the Sharjah Central Mall’s common areas, landscape and façade in Sharjah, UAE. The aim for the company was to design and instil a welcoming and engaging atmosphere for guests and to achieve this, the right lighting and lighting control system was key. From the façade that draws visitors in, to well-lit public areas and easy navigation, well-controlled lighting is more important in this day-and-age than ever and this landmark destination is now more visible than ever.
