The right lighting
The new branch of Herberger’s was all set to be a successful store. As a subsidiary of legendary department store chain The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., it had already been prepared with optimal light levels. At the same time, Bon-Ton was looking to balance its environmental interests with its fiscal goals by saving energy.
Jim Mitchell, Divisional Vice President of Facilities Planning, Design & Vendor Shops at The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., saw an opportunity to harness some new technology. “Using LED is a multiple-win situation,” he says. “With no mercury to dispose of, and by using less energy, we can do our part to support the environment.”
The stage was set for LED to be used in the store. However, Jim Mitchell had some reservations. He had seen LED in use in competing stores, and was not convinced that it could provide adequate light levels. When meeting with Philips, Jim specified that any LEDs used in the store would have to be environmentally friendly and financially beneficial. And of course, they would have to maintain the existing shopping atmosphere so that customers did not notice a difference in the store.
Philips had a shining solution. We sent samples of our InstantFit LED T8 Lamp samples to Jim Mitchell for evaluation, and he quickly approved them for installation. The flawless light quality of the LED fixtures perfectly replicates the performance of the old lamps, maintaining a pleasant shopping atmosphere. Jim is looking forward to comparing the performance of Herberger’s with other stores: “I’m hoping we make such an impact here that we can retrofit all the existing The Bon-Ton nameplate stores.”
The new LED lighting system has generated monthly energy savings of 57% for Herberger’s. The upgrade to sustainable lighting means that Herberger’s will cut down on C02 emissions by 381 metric tons per year.