Lighting and interaction: From a standard shelf to a smart point of sale

Highlighting what customers should buy — effective shelf lighting makes this easy. The purchasing decision is strongly influenced by the visibility and clear recognition of products. In this article, we’ll outline steps that brick-and-mortar retailers can take to transform their standard shelves into a smart sales area.

After all, existing shelving systems can be upgraded with relatively little effort, without requiring a complete store renovation.

It often starts with a classic, standard shelf that is lit exclusively by general overhead lighting. This often results in shadowed areas, especially on the lower shelf levels, and makes the products appear less prominent.

A simple, low-effort, and low-cost solution for increasing visibility is to install LED light strips on the shelves or along the sides of the display unit. This additional lighting ensures that products are illuminated more evenly, colors stand out better, and packaging is easier to recognize. At the same time, it draws more attention to the merchandise on display.

If you want to further enhance the effect, you can tailor the lighting specifically to certain product categories. Different light colors, light intensities, or accent lighting help highlight new arrivals, promotional items, or high-margin products and direct customers’ attention to specific areas.

In a further stage of development, the lighting is integrated directly into the shelving system. Light profiles are concealed almost invisibly within the shelves or shelf sides, creating a calm, high-quality overall appearance.

→ Effect: The shelf thus evolves from a simple storage space into an eye-catching display area that showcases products and specifically enhances their impact at the point of sale.

Once the basis has been established with good shelf lighting, retailers can gradually expand the shelf to include digital information displays. The initial step often involves integrating digital price tags or small displays directly onto the shelf. These provide additional information that often doesn’t fit on the packaging — such as ingredients, origin, sustainability features, or usage tips. This allows customers to get answers to their questions right where the purchasing decision is made.

Through touchscreens, QR codes, or other digital interfaces, interested shoppers can access additional content without having to leave the shelf. Depending on the product category, this could include recipes, care instructions, product comparisons, or how-to videos. This makes it easier for shoppers to navigate the selection and can reduce uncertainty before making a purchase.

The digital shelf becomes particularly interesting when it not only provides information but also actively makes recommendations. A display next to the product can show complementary items that sensibly enhance the planned purchase. For example, someone selecting pasta might receive suggestions for matching sauces or spices. When purchasing a skincare product, complementary products from the same line can be suggested. This creates additional incentives to buy right at the point of sale.

In a further development stage, such recommendations can be dynamically controlled and adapted to promotions, seasonal offers, or product line highlights. The shelf thus becomes an active communication space that not only informs customers but also inspires them with relevant additional offers. For retailers, this opens up the opportunity to strategically leverage cross-selling and upselling potential while simultaneously enhancing the shopping experience. The shelf no longer ends with the physical product display but expands its sales area to include digital content and additional purchasing incentives.

Anyone looking to upgrade an existing shelf with lighting or digital elements must first assess how well the new technology can be integrated into the existing setup. Many retailers use shelving systems that have evolved over the years and were not always designed to accommodate additional power supplies or digital components. Especially with older setups, this raises the question of just how complex a retrofit actually is.

Another consideration is the investment cost. While LED lighting is relatively easy to retrofit today, digital displays, electronic shelf labels, or interactive solutions typically require higher initial investments. Retailers must therefore weigh which measures promise the greatest benefit for their product assortments and their customers.

Day-to-day operations also play a role. New technologies should simplify processes, not create additional work. That’s why many retailers ensure that lighting, digital price tags, and information systems can be managed centrally and require as little maintenance as possible.

Another issue is customer benefit. Not every product category benefits equally from digital information or interactive elements. While additional information can offer real added value for products that require extensive consultation, customers in other areas primarily expect to be able to find their way around quickly. Retailers therefore face the challenge of deploying technology where it actually supports the shopping experience.

Finally, digital shelves are also changing the role of the sales floor. Anyone wishing to integrate additional information, product recommendations, or cross-selling offers needs content that is kept up to date and sensibly tailored to the product assortment. The technical solution alone is not enough — what matters most is how relevant the information is to customers.

EuroShop.de/Author: Natascha Mörs