LED Lighting Helps Small Business Conserve Energy And Provide Better Experience
The Bridal Connection has served the Des Moines area for 38 years. Since its start, we have paid attention to all of the small details (including the lighting and LED technology). After all, we are responsible for the very focal point of the best day of our client’s life!
Changing ownership in 2007, it was very important for us to maintain the same, top service that our client base was accustomed to. Part of our success has been those small details and understanding how important it is for our clients to pick the right dress with the right color.
Proper store set up and lighting are a must in presenting products, especially clothing. Bridal has the uniqueness of presenting the white, ivory and champagne gowns with their appliques, lace, sequins, and jewels to the bold colors of bridesmaids’ styles along with matching tuxedos.
A Change to LED Technology
Lighting in the past was always challenging due to the amount of costs associated with incandescent and the heat of halogen bulbs, not to mention the short bulb life.
At The Bridal Connection, we went through this evolutionary time several years ago, when fluorescent/CFL technology was mandated to replace incandescent bulbs. The lumens and color rendering indexes (CRI) were challenging to maintain a well-lit area, while maintaining good color rendering.
Moving through these transitional times in lighting, Dan (owner of The Bridal Connection) has become somewhat of an expert in understanding lumens, kelvin, wattage, bulb bases, and how they translate into an effective presentation for our stores display and products.
In 2013/2014, light emitting diode or LED technology started breaking into the market.
Dan immediately started replacing the store’s halogen spotlights with the costlier LED technology, hoping for overall electrical savings, but also longevity, and a much cooler bulb. Online sales were where cost savings were found, as local retailers were still in the middle of the CFVL conversion.
While trying to be proactive in pursuing this newest generation of light, it still wasn’t at a point of perfection. Many of the chips burnt out too quickly or weren’t reliable as advertised.
In early 2016, Connor from Yellowblue LED presented us with the concept of replacing all of our fluorescent bulbs with a very affordable option including energy-saving rebates from our energy provider. The conversion to LED transformed our showroom!
The 4000K LED color temperature complements the true beauty of our wedding dresses and is invaluable in helping our clients choose their perfect dress without regrets!
As business owners, the commitment from Yellowblue LED to provide quality products, backed by their satisfaction guarantee, gave us peace of mind to make this investment.
The light quality together with the savings we have enjoyed since making the conversion has paid for itself exponentially as we continue to grow as a locally owned business focused on the community we serve.
