As artificial intelligence and the digital age gain momentum, more processes are pivoting from analog, manual methods to remote, automatic systems. Retail is part of this shift, and brands that invest in smart building technology trigger game-changing improvements in customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and bottom lines. Discover how smarter buildings can boost your success and future-proof new ventures.
What Is Smart Technology?
Smart technology refers to systems and gadgets that can detect, collect and analyze data, communicate with other smart devices, use AI and automate tedious tasks. Consider the difference between a standard digital watch from the early 2000s and today’s Wi-Fi-enabled, multi-sensor, AI-connected, highly personalizable smartwatches.
Many manufacturers are developing smart versions of classic appliances, like fridges that track ingredient stocks and speakers that use AI to craft the perfect playlist for your mood. When we talk about smart building technology, we mean internet-connected, digitized tools and resources your business needs to operate efficiently, from lighting and heat to security and asset management.
IoT Devices in Retail
The Internet of Things is a network of data-collecting smart devices that communicate with each other online and optimize conditions for the best results. In retail, IoT devices usually connect to a centralized hub that allows operators to manage multiple systems using one platform from any location with internet access.
With commercial IoT, the same software that monitors the room’s temperature adjusts the humidity and air conditioning accordingly while collecting and interpreting HVAC performance information. This highly automated interconnectivity makes operations more holistic, convenient and data-driven, improving efficiency, client experience and cost-effectiveness.
Retailers worldwide have embraced the smart technology bandwagon to stay competitive. In retail specifically, analysts expect the IoT market to grow significantly, reaching an estimated value of $35.5 billion by 2025. In comparison, a 2020 forecast estimated the retail IoT market size at $14.5 billion, showing an impressive compound annual growth rate of 19.6%.
Smart Lighting Solutions for Retail Spaces
Lighting is critical for a business’ aesthetic and sales. It sets the mood in stores, highlights featured products, communicates branding and ultimately makes the space more welcoming and usable for workers and customers.
By incorporating smart lighting solutions into their retail or commercial building design, businesses can reduce human error, remotely preset lighting plans for multiple store locations and track energy consumption.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is baseline illumination. The best levels and hues depend on how much natural light enters the building, the brand’s desired atmosphere, who shops in the store and whether a special event is taking place.
Smart lighting solutions give owners and operators complete control over ambient lighting using sensors and presets. Among other things, you can program your ambient lights to:
- Detect natural light and automatically adjust brightness accordingly.
- Switch on and off at specific times across multiple locations.
- Change colors, effects and intensities for different seasons and holidays.
- Allow authorized users to manually adjust any setting remotely.
- Turn a specific setting on or off if security systems detect suspicious activity.
Task Lighting
Localized task lighting showcases your products, making them look more appealing. This visibility is crucial in retail, where products are prominently on display and purchase decisions hang in the balance. It also encourages them to spend more time browsing by guiding them toward promotional displays.
Besides the options mentioned above, smart solutions let you experiment with different lighting strategies and compare them to sales data to intelligently optimize your lighting setup. You can also customize task lighting for employee efficiency so they can clearly read essential signs, critically inspect products’ condition in storerooms and use screens without glare.
Accent Lighting
Accent lighting highlights specific features of a space or product, usually in high-end retail stores. For example, an art gallery will adjust its accent lighting based on the shape of the sculptures on exhibit at the time to best accentuate the form’s beauty. Diamond necklaces on a shelf at a jewelry store will need different accent lighting from the leather bracelets previously displayed there. Ease and freedom of customization are critical, and smart lighting technology makes this possible.
Dynamic LED Advertising and Customer Service
As your brand, offerings, promotions and customers evolve, so should your signage. Fortunately, commercial technology has come a long way since the days of static printed banners and chalkboard specials. Digital signage lets you make real-time, remote updates and customizations.
- Reference the latest trends or current events while they’re still relevant and eye-catching.
- Frequently change featured products based on stock levels, new arrivals and sales data.
- Personalize displays for specific customer bases throughout the day and week.
- Auto-adjust sign brightness and colors alongside lighting changes using IoT tech.
Digital Signage
Interactive displays are also a must-have for brick-and-mortar retail outlets, as customers have come to expect a more engaging and fulfilling in-store experience to compete with online shopping platforms. With interactive displays, consumers can peruse your whole catalog of offerings and personalize their experience based on what they’re most interested in, creating a digital/physical hybrid shopping experience.
Interactive Displays
Smart retail technology can learn from customer behavior on these interactive displays, gathering and interpreting valuable data about which advertisements grab and keep attention, what people look for most often and how their in-store searches correlate with actual sales. Interactive displays can also double as self-checkout stations, order-placing portals, customer support hubs and virtual try-on stations.
Research into how customers feel about smart retail technology reveals that a one-size-fits-all approach to interactive displays is not ideal, as various industries attract different shoppers. Instead, retail store managers should use technology based on their customers’ needs, preferences and tech-savviness. For example, a toy store will need a vastly distinct interface from an electronics showroom or a cosmetics company.
Modernize Your Retail Space With Smart Building Technology From Alta
Transform your retail space with smart lighting solutions that enhance customer experiences and boost operational efficiency. At Alta Construction, we specialize in integrating advanced construction technology to create dynamic environments tailored to your business needs. Don’t miss the opportunity to future-proof your operations and elevate your brand in today’s competitive landscape.
Contact us online today to learn how we can help you implement innovative lighting solutions to drive customer engagement and profitability. If you’re a contractor, request a spot on our bid list to get involved in our mission. We’re ready to illuminate your path to success.
