Seeing accurate colors on merchandise is important to consumers. They want to be sure that they are buying navy pants, not black. They want to be sure that the mint green bath mat matches the color of the hand towels. Consumers do not want to go through the hassle of returning home after a long day of shopping only to find that the items they bought at the store are not the color they thought they were and then have to make another trip back to the store to return it. And retailers don’t want merchandise returns either!

The best way to light merchandise in order to display its true colors is to find light bulbs that rate 100 on the color rendering index. The color rendering index (CRI) measures a light source’s ability to render colors most naturally and accurately. CRI is measured on a scale of 0 to 100 with natural daylight being 100. Generally, the higher the CRI, the better the colors appear.

Halogen light bulbs are idea for retail applications because they have 100 CRI and they can be used to direct light onto a specific item to highlight it. They add punch to your displays that attracts customer attention. Customers will be able to see the true colors and textures of the merchandise under the halogen’s 100 CRI light, and you will be able to direct consumers’ attention onto the sale item of the week.

LED and ceramic metal halide light bulbs also work well for directing light onto a specific display. They both help save energy compared to halogen light bulbs; however, they have a slightly lower CRI of around 85-90. No matter what light source you choose for your store, be sure to choose one with the highest CRI that matches your other lighting goals, such as saving energy. Retail lighting with high CRI puts your merchandise in the best light that makes consumers confident about their purchase and less likely to return it.