Can automotive retailers sell more vehicles by brightening up their stores with natural daylight?
A report from the Eneref Institute suggests that adding daylight to the dealership space can create an environment that is more conducive to buying decisions, because the colour of the vehicle is more correctly observed under these conditions.
The colour of a vehicle can be a big draw for consumers, but it can also change easily depending on the lighting. There’s a lot of science between the impact of colour and lighting on a vehicle, but overall natural daylight is needed to help entice the consumer. An automotive dealership in North Charleston, South Carolina (Crews Subaru) discovered this when installing new skylights in their showroom.
According to Kenneth Lin, Director of Product Management for Subaru of America: “Colour is one of the first things someone notices about automotive design — they even choose the colour before the make or model.”
Brightening up the room can help dealerships sell more vehicles. In fact, the report draws on a study from the Heschong-Mahone Group, which found that some retailers that decided to increase the amount of natural light entering the store reported a 40 per cent boost in sales.
The report also included a comment from American artist Peter Hite who works with colour in large spaces, about the connection between an emotional experience and an economic decision when purchasing a vehicle. “Daylight augments and enhances colour’s emotional impact.”
Subaru uses colour as a key differentiator from its competitors, but the overall idea is that dealerships in general can benefit from a brighter store.
