How to choose lighting for your gas station or convenience store?

Lighting plays an important role in improving visibility, promoting safety, and even influencing purchasing decisions. This is especially true for places where people go after dusk and in the early hours of the morning, like gas stations and convenience stores. Therefore, choosing the right lighting for your operation is a key component in creating a safe, inviting and productive environment for customers and employees.

Choosing the right lighting can also give you a competitive advantage, returning savings in the form of smaller energy bills and lower maintenance costs.

This article will guide you through the basics to consider when choosing the best LED lighting solution for your gas station or C-store, ensuring your facility is well lit, cost effective, and customer friendly.

Define the area to be lit

Gas stations or C-stores usually have several different areas with different lighting requirements to ensure safety, functionality, and ambience. Here are the key areas where you might want to upgrade or refurbish your lighting:

• Canopy: Canopy, of course, covers the tanker to keep the machine and your customers dry. This is one of the most important areas to clarify. Proper lighting can improve visibility, ensure customer safety while refueling, and create a sense of security at night. Make sure your lighting is focused on the fuel tanker so customers can easily read the pump display and operate the equipment safely.
• Parking lots: Adequate lighting in parking lots can prevent criminal activity and reduce the risk of accidents, thereby increasing the safety of customers and employees. This applies especially to areas on the sides and rear of buildings. Good lighting is a first-line deterrent to crime.
• Storefronts and entrances: Storefronts and entrances should be well lit to create a welcoming atmosphere and encourage customers to enter the store. The lighting in this area should also highlight the logo and branding elements.
• Interior: The interior of the convenience store needs layered lighting to meet the needs of general, mission and focus lighting. General lighting provides overall lighting, while task lighting focuses on specific areas, such as cash registers and product shelves. Accent lighting can be used to highlight promotional displays and create ambiance.
• Coolers and freezers: Proper lighting in coolers and freezers is essential for product visibility and sales, making it easier for customers to find and select items. This is an area where LED lighting particularly shines: its long life ensures a good customer experience, no power outages, and its lifetime is not affected by cold temperatures. Because it runs cool, it can also help reduce the energy consumption of your cooler.
• Restrooms: Clean, well-lit restrooms contribute to a positive customer experience and demonstrate a commitment to hygiene and safety. LED lighting performs well here because its service life is not affected by cycling (frequent opening and closing). Motion sensors on these lights will save even more energy.
• Back office areas: Storage rooms, staff lounges and offices should have proper lighting to ensure a safe and functional work environment. Reducing damage and workers' compensation with bright, low-cost lighting can help prevent accidents.
• Outdoor signage: Illuminated signage, such as price signs, store signs, promotional banners, is essential to attract customers and improve visibility from a distance.
• Emergency and safety lighting: Adequate emergency and safety lighting should be installed to ensure safe evacuation in the event of a power outage or other emergency. You can install dedicated emergency lighting or install emergency backup drivers in LED lighting to double as emergency lighting.

What do you consider when making a purchase decision

Here's what you need to consider to ensure you get the best lighting solution:

• Brightness: Bright and even lighting at gas stations is crucial as it helps to improve visibility, create a welcoming atmosphere and prevent accidents.
• Energy efficiency: Lighting efficiency directly affects the long-term operating costs of lighting systems. LED lights are the most energy efficient option for commercial lighting and can significantly reduce energy bills compared to traditional lighting systems.
• Durability: Gas stations are often subject to adverse weather conditions, so any outdoor or canopy light needs to be durable and long-lasting. Durability and longevity also reduce maintenance needs and help reduce long-term costs. For outdoor lighting, choose models that are resistant to moisture and dust, and models made of materials that will not break or create dangerous debris in the event of an accident.
• Color rendering: Color rendering affects the way colors appear under different lighting conditions. For indoor and freezer lighting, look for LED lights with a color rendering index (CRI) of 80 or higher. These will provide a more accurate color representation, ensuring that your product looks attractive, while also making it easier for customers to identify the product and read the label.
• Installation options: The fixed device needs to be securely installed to ensure safety and stability. Choose fixtures that are easy to install and can be safely mounted on canopies, buildings or light poles.

When choosing lighting for a gas station or convenience store, think about the brightness, energy efficiency, durability, color rendering, and installation options you need. When you choose the right lighting solution, you create a welcoming atmosphere for your customers and employees. Business and productivity are up, while your energy bills stay low.