Supermarkets and convenience stores tend to be large spaces with high ceilings and little natural light. Therefore, they need appropriate fixtures that provide enough light for customers to have a good experience in the store and for staff to work safely. These are the most popular LED fixtures used for lighting in superstores:

• LED Track Lights - Offer great flexibility as the spots can be moved. 3-phase systems can be used to create separate areas with independent lighting for each area.

• LED Trunking - Creates a light line with high lumen output by connecting fixtures together, perfect for aisles.

• LED Battens - May be suitable for use in damp environments. Can have integrated LEDs or be compatible with a light source.

Smaller shops such as greengrocers, bakeries, butchers, etc. may have lower ceilings and require less light. Small supermarkets and mini markets may also be able to use fixtures and fittings compatible with LED light sources, such as LED tubes. In this case, the fixture does not need to be replaced, only the light source. Other options are:

• LED Panels & LED Downlights - These fixtures are available in a range of sizes, offer a choice of installation options including recessed and surface mounted. Also available with integrated DALI. 

It is important to choose light sources with the appropriate CRI. The higher the CRI, the better the colours are displayed. We recommend choosing LED fixtures with a CRI of 90-99 Ra. This will ensure that your products look their best.

Supermarkets are required to comply with safety regulations. These include emergy lighting, HACCP lighting and light sourced specifically designed for food.

• HACCP lighting - Fixtures specifically made for guaranteeing safety in the food industry, meaning they are dust and water resistant

• Emergency lighting - Compliant with the BS EN standards, can be escape route designation and escape route lighting.

• TL & LED Tubes FOOD - These are specifically designed to illuminate food. They are either made of plastic or, if made of glass, have a shatterproof plastic layer around them. They can be installed in counters where fresh food is displayed.

Grocery stores and supermarkets are usually divided into different areas with different types of products displayed. The right lighting can help differentiate each area and make the products stand out. You can use the brief summary below as a guide to where the different colour temperatures are most appropriate.

Meat and orange/red seafood - Very warm light (2500K) is ideal for meat counters as it has a high red component in the colour spectrum, which enhances the natural colour of meat and makes it look fresher. Very warm light can also be used to display fish and seafood that is either red or orange in colour.

Bakeries - Extra warm light (2700K) is suitable for bakeries as it makes products look as if they have just come out of the oven.

Fruits and vegetables - Neutral white light (3000K) is recommended for illuminating fresh produce such as fruit, vegetables and flowers as it makes them look fresher. Colder tones can also be used in areas where packaged products are displayed. These can be both edible and non-edible.

Fish - Cold white light (5500K) is ideal for illuminating fish counters where products are displayed on ice and the cold light makes them look shinier, fresher and more appealing.

Wine - Warm white light (2700K) is best suited to the wine area as it helps to create a relaxed and sophisticated atmosphere. It is recommended that lighting is set at 250-300 lux to avoid glare on glass bottles.

Good to know: 

Not only do LEDs use less energy than traditional lighting sources, but LED lighting emits neither heat nor IR and UV radiation. This preserves the organoleptic characteristics of products and makes LED lighting suitable for refrigerated shelves and counters.

What is the best shelf lighting for supermarkets?

In convenience stores and supermarkets, it is important to chose the best shelf lighting to display products in the best possible way. To achieve this, we recommend installing light sources parallel to the shelves. In fact, when the light distribution matches the shelf geometry, products look more attractive and consumers can quickly see all the goods on display. LED trunking and LED battens connect are the best fixture for this purpose, as they create lines of light on the ceiling that can extend down the entire aisle. With the right lumen output, the light is evenly distributed from the highest to the lowest shelf.

Alternatively, LED strips can be mounted directly on the shelves and can be a good solution for small supermarkets that do not have high ceilings. LED spotlights can also be used for accent lighting, especially in smaller grocery stores.

What services can Any-Lamp provide to help you?

We'll immediately get to the point: our services can be as extensive as you would like them to be! Lighting expertise at Any-Lamp ranges from providing custom quotation to delivering tailor-made lighting solutions with additional services during installation.

Once you contact our lighting experts to help out with your supermarket lighting project, they will rely on norm based light calculations (BS EN 12464-1) to create a lighting plan that is a perfect fit for your premises. In this plan a map is included, so your own installers are aware how our LED lighting solution can be optimally implemented. Moreover, once our lighting plan is in place, we can showcase a 3D simulated version to give a visual overview on what the end result will look like. Interested? Contact us via 01 903 8698.

Not in need of project lighting? If you sign up for our pro business account, you not only profit from the best purchasing conditions, but you also have a personal salescontact who arranges quotations, the option to purchase on account and/or the best delivery terms when products are in stock.