Supermarket and Grocery Store Lighting

Shoppers in a supermarket decide in seconds, and they decide with their eyes. Fresh vegetables, golden bakery, rich red meat on the counter, or grey-looking food under cold light: lighting makes the difference. Vision Lighting designs, manufactures and installs lighting for supermarkets and grocery stores. Our fixtures work in the Epicentr, Varus and Rukavychka chains and in dozens of independent stores across Ukraine.

What a supermarket needs from its lighting

• Sales floor: about 1300 lx average at 0.8 m, so the store looks bright and tidy.
• Grocery, drinks, alcohol: 1300-1450 lx on the shelves.
• Meat: about 1200 lx on the counter, with light aimed at the product, not the aisle.
• Fruit and vegetables: about 1500 lx.
• Frozen food: up to 1750 lx at the freezer displays, so products behind glass stand out.
• Entrance: from 850 lx for a smooth transition from the street.
• Energy use: these levels are reached at about 14.5 W/m², roughly 1.1 W/m² per 100 lx.
• Colour rendering: CRI 80 for general light, CRI 90 for fresh food where colour drives the purchase.
• No glare: fixtures do not dazzle and do not create reflections on packaging and refrigerator glass.

Colour temperature and special spectra by department

• Bread and bakery: warm 3000K or a bakery spectrum, so the crust looks golden, not pale.
• Cheese: a dedicated cheese spectrum or 2700-3000K for warm yellow tones.
• Red meat: a meat spectrum or 1800K for rich colour of beef and pork.
• Marbled meat: 3000K, the fat marbling is clearly visible.
• Fish and seafood: a cool 5700K spectrum that shows freshness on ice.
• Fruit and vegetables: a spectrum with maximum colour rendering, greens and berries look juicy.
• Frozen and dairy: 5000-6000K, clean cool light.
• Alcohol, household goods, general floor: neutral 4000K.
• Checkout: higher brightness for fast service and orientation.

Which fixtures to use

• LINK linear lights: continuous light lines above the aisles, general light on the floor, in refrigeration and at the checkouts.
• PARALLEL panel lights: lens panels with 30°×90° asymmetric optics that stretch light along the aisles, plus a lens for even light on shelves.
• SHOOTER-L and SHOOTER-M track spotlights: accents on island displays, fruit, meat and fish counters. 30°×65° oval optics light a shelving unit evenly from top to bottom.
• PRIAGO track spotlights: a simple option for small grocery and cheese shops.
• RAY-D linear lights: soft, shadow-free light in the in-store cafe and deli.
• PLATOS recessed lights: entrance and back-of-house areas with a suspended ceiling.

Completed projects

• VARUS, Sofiivska Borshchahivka: 435 SHOOTER-L track spotlights on 286 metres of three-phase track, 81 of them with spectra for meat, fish, cheese, bakery, fruit and vegetables.
• TENDO, Sarny: PLATOS at the entrance, SATURN rings above the main floor, SHOOTER-L on the shelving and LINK linear lights over refrigeration and checkout.
• MIDA, Mykolaiv: a 549 m² supermarket and a 100 m² cafe with more than 270 fixtures. 3500K in the aisles, 3000K on the perimeter, special spectra in the produce section.
• Kontynent, Kyiv: a grocery store with its own colour temperature for each department.
• Cheese Kingdom, Kyiv: 2700K on cheese, cool light on dairy and frozen food, a meat spectrum, 4000K in the alcohol zone.

Lighting control

In a large supermarket the lights run 14-16 hours a day, so a lighting control system pays back quickly. We integrate DALI and Dynalite: occupancy sensors dim empty zones and back rooms, daylight sensors reduce output near windows, and scenes switch to night lighting after closing. This is how it works, for example, at the OKKO station in Hatne.

FAQ

What colour temperature should a grocery store use?

4000K for general light. Individual departments are better served by their own temperature or a special spectrum: warm light for bakery and cheese, cool light for fish, frozen and dairy, dedicated spectra for meat and produce.

Which is better for a supermarket: linear lights or track spotlights?

A combination works best. Linear lights or panels give even general light above the aisles, while track spotlights create accents on displays, counters and island tables. Tracks let you re-aim the light when the planogram changes.

How much does supermarket lighting cost?

The cost depends on floor area, ceiling height, the number of departments with special spectra and the control system. We give an exact figure after a lighting calculation for your project.

Planning a new store or a refit? We will prepare a lighting design project, manufacture the fixtures and handle turnkey installation.