We have all heard about LED lights and witnessed the increasing popularity of LED lights in store displays and retail environments. But, do you know enough about the benefits of LED lighting to make a compelling argument for replacing the fluorescent lights in your retail environment or using LED lights in your next POP display? In today’s blog, we’ll review the high-level benefits of LED lights and discuss some of the problems with fluorescent lights.
There are 5 primary benefits of LED lights:
- Energy Efficiency– LED lights typically use about 80% less energy than normal incandescent bulbs. This energy efficiency is the reason LED light bulbs emit very little heat compared to incandescent bulbs which burn 98% of their energy as heat.
- Long Life– High quality LED lights can last over 50,000 hours. Incandescent light bulbs last approximately 1,000 hours, and fluorescent lights are good for roughly 10,000 hours. So not only do LED lights consume less energy, but they last 5-50 times longer than alternative lighting fixtures for retail stores.
- Durability– LED lights have no fragile filament and no fragile tube so they are less easily damaged. They are resistant to heat, cold, and shock. The durability advantage is especially important in POP displays that often need to stand up to shopper and shipping abuse. The display case shown below contains fluorescent lights which will have a predictably short life span.
- Color Uniformity– LED lights offer color uniformity as compared to fluorescent lights which frequently present uneven color. Uniform color is essential in presenting merchandise in the most attractive way possible. Uneven color can compromise merchandising objectives, particularly in large displays cases like the one shown below.
Even higher end products like those shown below which use fluorescent lights suffer from uneven color (not to mention the shorter life span of the lights).
In contrast, the light boxes shown below contain LED light modules. They present a high quality, smooth, and even light.
Furthermore, LED lighting offers a wide range of color options and provides significantly more control over the lighting environment. For example, warm white LEDs range from 2000K-3500K. Natural white LEDs range from 3600K-5000K. And, cool white LEDs range from 5100K-20,000K.
Easy Installation– LED lights are extremely easy to install and often come with plug and play components. The light box shown below is powered by LED light modules and is a snap to install.
Aside from the above benefits, LED lights are very versatile and can be used in a wide range of point-of-purchase displays and retail store fixtures. The flat display and the pedestal display shown below are just a couple examples of how ordinary displays can become extraordinary through illumination using interior LED bars.
LED retail store lighting fixtures are becoming increasingly popular at retail and are worth exploring in more detail as we will do in our next blog.
