EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — GE Lighting recently helped Walgreen Co. upgrade general lighting across 80% of the chain’s drug store locations nationwide.
GE said Thursday that when consumers walk the aisles their local Walgreens store, they will notics the difference from the new lighting. For example, nail polish on cosmetic shelves may appear more vibrant, and magazine covers may be easier to read.
Walgreens’ new lighting initiative meant installing lamps with a higher color temperature and color rendering index (CRI), causing tones to appear more vivid and vibrant, according to GE. Because different types of light produce different color temperatures, lighting can affect how shoppers perceive the colors of different products — and color accuracy at a store known for its beauty care product selection is critical, GE noted.
"Creating the very best shopping experience for our customers is our top priority, and lighting helps us achieve that goal," Tim Schmid, divisional vice president of facilities management, energy and sustainability at Walgreens, said in a statement. "With our new lighting upgrade, colors appear more vibrant and more like they would in daylight, so customers don’t need to second-guess themselves in the cosmetics aisle. Plus, the change is saving us money and energy at the same time."
By changing lights to the new GE F25 T8 linear fluorescent tubes, Walgreens will save thousands of dollars since the switch impacts more than 4.3 million lights at almost 7,000 stores.
New linear fluorescent fixtures from GE will increase energy efficiency by 9% and extend re-lamp cycles by 10%. Walgreens achieved greater energy efficiency by switching from 28-watt to new 25-watt GE F25 T8 linear fluorescent tubes.
GE added that Walgreens was recognized with the company’s annual Retailer of the Year award in 2011 for demonstrating how energy-efficient lighting can improve the visual aesthetics of a store. The drug chain is GE’s largest user of F25 technology.
