Retail stores can add depth, texture, and lead shoppers to specific merchandise with light.

Ambient lighting fills  with an even distrubition of light. It  is the foundation of the store's atmosphere.  Warm light tends to reduce the apparent size of a room, while cooler light makes a room appear larger and more "open".

Accent lighting refers to carefully focused spotlights to contrast ambient lighting. Accent lighting draws attention to specific items.   It adds texture to the environment.

Warm colors appear to advance to the eye, cool colors retract.

Contrast  is the art of effective lighting .  Accents should be 3 to 5 stronger than ambient levels.  A dimensional push-pull effect is created when warm halogen accents contrast cool fluorescent ambient light.

Halogen spot lights are excellent  for accent lighting, when used gingerly.   Highlighting everything highlights nothing. Less is more.
 

There are drawbacks to halogen.

An attempt to accent everything, accents nothing. Choose key places and items to accent.

Don't use incandescent (halogen) as the sole illumination throughout the store.  Colors will be distorted and no useful contrast will occur. The excess red-yellow color reduces apparent room size and dulls blue products.

Halogen lamps are expensive and have a short life. The relamping cost should be considered in deciding how much halogen to bring in.

Halogen lamps only convert 10% of the electricity used into  light.  90% of the energy used is converted to heat.

Use narrow beam spotlights- not floodlights.

Halogen lamps can explode and improper installation may be a fire risk. Read the warnings carefully.

Halogen accents should only be added once top quality ambient light design is achieved.