A decade of change in retail lighting for Amphis
Lighting has always been a practical necessity in Large Format Retail. Over the past decade, however, the way it is considered and the role it plays has changed markedly.
Today, lighting is no longer defined purely by visibility or compliance. It influences how a store feels to enter, how easily people move through large spaces, how products are perceived and how comfortably teams operate across long trading days. As physical stores continue to carry the weight of brand experience, lighting has become a critical layer in shaping how retail spaces connect with the people inside them.
This shift reflects broader changes across Large Format Retail. As stores have grown in scale and complexity, lighting has increasingly been used to support wayfinding, guide attention and create environments that feel intuitive rather than overwhelming. Comfort for both customers and staff is now recognised as a commercial consideration, influenced by how light is controlled, distributed and experienced.
Technological advancements have expanded what is possible at scale. Improvements in colour rendering, glare control and lighting controls have enabled more considered solutions across large footprints. Rather than uniform approaches, lighting is now often layered to support distinct zones, from calm and focused areas to spaces designed to feel energised and active. In this way, lighting has become an extension of brand expression, reinforcing how retail spaces look, feel and function.
As Amphis marks ten years of illuminating life in 2026, the milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on how these broader industry changes have unfolded in practice. Over the past decade, Amphis have grown alongside the evolving needs of Large Format Retail, gaining direct insight into how lighting performs across real environments, teams and customer journeys.
That learning has been shaped through collaboration with retail partners across hardware, electronics, home and specialty formats, including Spotlight Group, JB Hi‑Fi, The Good Guys, Costco, Kitchen Warehouse and Bedshed. Working at scale has reinforced the importance of consistency, thoughtful design and lighting solutions that perform reliably across multi‑site networks.
Amphis Managing Director David Sheils has observed this shift first-hand. “Over time, lighting has become far more focused on performance, efficiency, and how it affects wellbeing and atmosphere,” he shares. “The conversation has moved from simply lighting spaces to designing how they feel for the people using them.”
As retail spaces have continued to evolve, so too has the capability to support them. “Expanding into commercial and large format projects, and more recently, strengthening our operational capacity through an exclusive partnership with LSI, reflects an ongoing response to the practical needs of these environments. It represents an effort to support better‑performing retail outcomes through lighting that is designed for purpose.”
Looking ahead, lighting’s role in retail is set to strengthen further. The opportunity lies in creating environments that feel comfortable, cohesive and aligned to brand, while supporting customers and store teams alike. A decade on, illuminating life remains an evolving practice – shaped by the everyday spaces people move through and by the shared commitment to lighting them well.
