Articles and News
Let’s Talk Jewelry Store Design: Why LED Lightboxes Add Value | September 08, 2021 (0 comments)
West Bloomfield, MI--When working with clients from planning “Concept to Completion” or remodeling of their stores, jewelers often ask me: "why should we use backlit lightboxes in our spaces?" My response is that lightboxes add an inviting dimension to the store’s ambience. Let’s reflect over the basic reasons when and why you would want to use the LED lightboxes instead of non-backlit signs or posters.
Standout Messaging
The beauty, color, detail, quality of the image will shine through with correctly lit lightboxes. The right amount of light and shadow highlights creates positive emotions from the customers. Plus, using lightboxes makes your messages consistently visible. Lightboxes tastefully distributed around the store do an amazing job of conveying important branding messages to the customers, which increases jewelry resonance and sales. See the picture below from Adlers Jewelers in Westfield, NJ, where I did the interior design including proper placement of large LED lightboxes.
Adler's, Westfield, NJ, lightbox presentation designed by McGwire.
Improved Space Illumination & Jewelry Absorption
Many jewelry store owners are beginning to replace standard commercial lighting with lit lightboxes and backlit graphics to improve the illumination of the jewelry spaces and customers' experiences. Proper lightbox placement is essential for space illumination and design. See photo below from Lakers Jewelers, Rochester, MN, where I also did the interior design and lightboxe placements. This lit lightbox image has improved Laskers Jewelers space illumination and jewelry sales.
Laskers Jewelers, Rochester, MN, lightbox presentation.
Emotional Connection
Professionally produced backlit photos and graphics in LED-lit lightboxes elevate the messaging process and strategy. Darkness usually has negative connotations, and converse is also true. The light from these lightboxes brings energy that a non-backlit messages just cannot offer. The energy is transferred to the customers shopping for jewelry. Customers engage, believe, and follow the messaging from these lightboxes. This ability to activate emotional triggers in the customers is what jewelry stores need.
LED lightboxes have set a new standard of quality within the jewelry industry. I recommend 2 different types of lightboxes both having LED lights. The first backlit lightbox that is very nice is the 8 millimeter, front print, polyester transparency film that has an ultra absorbent coating that is designed to produce the best black density and color vibrancy.
The other material that I design with is a silicone edge fabric that is backlit and has higher density and light diffusion properties.
The plus of both of these lightboxes are that you can change out the image very easily. The LED color temperature is best with pure white. The lightboxes normally last 100,000 hours and carry a warranty and UL certification.
In summary, backlit LED lightboxes can boost jewelry sales, create an emotional connection with customers, improve space illumination, and help with messaging when correctly placed in the store; therefore, storeowners who are looking to plan a new store or remodel an existing one should consider backlit LED lightboxes.
About the Author: Leslie McGwire™ has over 35 years in business development, interior design, equipment, furniture sales and marketing services in retail and jewelry-based businesses. Leslie has won 25 national design awards, including the prestigious Salon Today and INSTORE Jewelry Store awards. Leslie has a true passion for business, design for the jewelry and retail industries. Visit lesliemcgwire.com for more information.