Take retail, for example. Feedback shows that customers constantly demand fresh experiences. That atmosphere is vital. But often atmosphere change goes hand-in-hand with high investments. Can some way be found to allow change at the fl ick of a switch? Philips thinks it can. And to assess imaginative ideas, it uses a retail-dedicated ShopLab which allows fully operational value propositions to be tested in a realistic shop environment. Based on a deep understanding of shoppers and retailers, innovative concepts are being developed and tested with these stakeholders.

Philips Atmosphere Flipbook contains illustrations refl ecting atmospheres, all pre-programmed in the shop’s master lighting design. The shop owner – who does not need to be a lighting designer – simply browses through the book and chooses the atmosphere required. Each page has a unique ID associated with the lighting scheme in the book and opening the chosen page instantly gives the store the chosen atmosphere. And new atmospheres can be added at will. Instant change at minimum costs.

Another innovation is the Reactive Spotlight. It provides accent lighting on a product such as a fashion accessory or luxury item, but when a customer approaches the display, the beam narrows and helps to focus the attention of the shopper on the product. It is a response to the customer’s interest and the effect is almost as if a shop assistant presents the product to the shopper for inspection. Imagination is being stimulated in the ShopLab with very interesting results.