TWEEDMILL, ST ASAPH

Staff at Denbighshire based, Tweedmill Shopping Centre, were left wholly impressed by Dexretail’s state-of-the-art products and unrivalled bespoke luminaire service, as the company unveiled its new facilities.

Upon recent completion, Tweedmill’s £4.5m extension and refurbishment project has seen its shopping facilities almost double in size to a total of 50,000 sq ft. The independent retailer’s notable investment is expected to add around 50 job opportunities to its existing 120 employee base and has allowed the business to incorporate many more international and local brands, as well as extra services, into its premises. As outlet manager Lisa Johns explains: “There were some brands that would not come here before because the site was not big enough, now we have them here”, and that the “additional space has allowed us to target other age groups”. So, the renovation plan aimed not only to expand the outlet’s shop floor, but to modernise and revitalise its interior to attract a wider demographic of tourists and local visitors, making it a suitable sales point for a broader range of clothing and homeware brands.

Initially, Dexretail were chosen as lighting suppliers for this project due to their attractive 5 year warranty and flexibility in meeting the client’s specific delivery requirements. Yet, as the project developed, Tweedmill soon realised Dextra’s considerable edge over competitors nationwide, in their ability to design and manufacture bespoke luminaries of the highest quality, within tight schedules.

The brief required Dexretail to devise a lighting scheme that would enhance both the display of products and the visitors’ overall shopping experience, by creating a modern and inviting atmosphere. Installations were to cover the entire main store, including the new ground floor extension, first floor clothing department, hair salon/spa area and general amenities.

Since lighting alone is responsible for an average of 30% of a retail building’s carbon emissions and energy costs, it was crucial that the new installation would make use of the latest energy-efficient lighting designed for retail applications. An intelligent and green lighting solution would help generate revenue for the client through electricity savings and by securing eligibility for government incentives such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment. Tweedmill already demonstrated a firm commitment towards such energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets, with an extensive photovoltaic panel system installed across the complex’s roof. With this in mind, Dextra’s design department produced a full CAD lighting design, utilising a selection of Dexretail’s cutting-edge LED luminaires and compatible lighting controls, to match the business’s green policies, whilst attending to the aesthetic and practical necessities of a modern shopping facility.

LED in Retail
LED lighting is extremely well suited to retail applications. Unlike traditional fluorescent and HID lighting, LED light sources offer the benefits of having an extremely long lifespan and low lumen deprecation (maintained brightness over time), which eliminates the need for frequent lamp changes. Combined with the rugged durability owed to their lack of fragile filament or tube, LED lights allow retail outlets such as Tweedmill, to minimise the maintenance costs incurred by shutting down shop floors for servicing, thereby disrupting customers’ shopping experience.

With advances in LED technology being made at an incredible rate, LED luminaires are not only becoming more energy-efficient and high-performing, but also increasingly versatile. Dexretail’s wide range of state-of-the-art LED luminaires and controls, can offer a diverse palette of different lighting effects, outputs and colour temperatures to suit a variety of retail applications, from producing eye-catching display lighting, to creating inviting and comfortably-lit spaces.

The Products
The new building extension added two sizeable shop floors to the retail outlet. The ground floor clothing department was divided in to a series of ample spaces dedicated to different showrooms and concessions. The client was particularly impressed with Dexretail’s flexibility, after requesting a customised version of the popular recessed DEXLED luminaire to fit their 1200mm x 600mm ceiling grid system. Thanks to Dextra’s vast manufacturing capacity, a total of 138 of these luminaires were modified to the client’s taste without extending the delivery schedule.

The DEXLED has been a mainstay amongst clients in the retail and commercial sector due to its high versatility, excellent energy efficiency and attractive contemporary design. By combining a traditional louvre design with the latest high transmission optic materials, the luminaire can be offered in a wide range of body sizes. Using the latest Philips LEDs, these different versions can then be customised with either 2, 3 or 4 louvre cell configurations, to achieve a range of lumen outputs between 3800lm to 15200lm. The DEXLED is also available in pull-up or lay-in installation options, suitable for plasterboard, exposed T and most concealed grid ceiling systems.

In contrast, the first floor consisted of a 1,802 m² open plan shopping area with high ceilings of approximately 4.5m. For such a large area the challenge was to design an installation that would achieve the desired lighting levels of 500 lux, whilst ensuring a uniformity of fittings and light coverage.

The solution came in the form of the 6800 lumen Sequent LED luminaire. Its practical trunking system and 5m suspension kits, allowed a total of 181 luminaries to be fitted quickly and easily, thereby significantly reducing installation costs for the client. This unique trunking system allows gear trays to be fixed into position with a simple twist lock connection mechanism. A range of push-fit diffuser, reflector, or louvre attachments can then be easily clipped on to the trays in the desired location.

A total of 588m of trunking was used to cover this entire retail area. Available in 1.5m, 3m or 4.5m lengths, the Sequent’s trunking allowed the installation to be tailored to the dimensions of the shop floor, with 16 continuous runs of different sizes stretching across each end of the shop floor. The suspension kit allowed the engineers to easily suspend the fittings to a required height of 3.2m, despite the uneven curvature of the ceiling. At this optimum height, the luminaires were able to provide the required illuminance for the area.

The Sequent system is delivered complete with a pre-cabled 7 pole wiring loom for twin circuit, dimming and emergency control. This versatile wiring system also enables quick electrical connection thanks to a convenient plug and socket system.

With such a high volume of luminaires, substantial energy savings can be made by introducing the right sensors and controls. Installed with DALI dimming controls and photocell daylight regulation sensors, the Sequent LED system maintained the required 500 lux level whilst making the most of the available natural daylight. Passive infrared (PIR) presence detection sensors were also installed in strategic locations to minimise energy consumption.

With this combination of features, the unique Sequent LED system offers an innovative cost-effective and energy saving solution adaptable to wide range of environments.

The Protec LED downlight was used to help create a welcoming reception for visitors in the shopping centre’s main entrance and stairway. As an example of its increased versatility, the luminaire was delivered in both 2000lm and 3000lm options and a set of customised Optispec reflectors and white bezels, out of a wide range of different options. Once installed, the chosen reflectors and colour attachments can be easily removed and replaced to suit changes in décor, colour scheme or display layout.

By combining the latest Philips LEDs and Fortimo/Xitanium drivers with sophisticated reflectors, the Protec LED range is engineered for excellent efficiency and high performance, with 2000lm options operating at 83llm/w, and 3000lm versions at 75llm/w,reaching LORs in excess of 90%. These factors make it an ideal option for applications abiding to environmental management policies, which require a commitment to energy reduction.

The highly versatile Protec LED also offers multiple installation options, as it is suitable for plasterboard or mineral fibre installation and ceiling thickness from 3mm to 30mm. A four point self clamping spring bracket also allows for an ultra quick installation.

For the outlet’s hair salon and spa areas, the MODLED luminaire provided a softer and more relaxing lighting solution for customers to enjoy. Thanks to its high transmission panel with up to 93% transmission and excellent diffusion, the luminaire offers significant glare reduction and ensures both visual comfort and maximum diffusion, . The ultra-efficient MODLED also offers an impressive LOR of 85%, giving clients a competitive level of performance at highly a competitive price.

The refurbished spa area was divided in to four, 26m² rooms, which required the new luminaires to be retrofitted into existing spacings of 2.4m. Available in lumen outputs ranging from 1750lm to as high as 15,200lm, in three different body sizes, the MODLED provided the necessary flexibility to achieve the required light levels in accordance to these spatial limitations

The MODLED luminaires were also supplied as fixed output and installed with PIR sensors for occupancy control, to maximise energy savings during non-service periods.

To ensure the safety of both staff and visitors alike, 3 hour emergency lighting was installed integral to selected luminaires, as well as fitted externally in various strategic locations across the entire shopping centre.

Tweedmill Shopping Centre relaunched in time for its 20th anniversary, welcoming visitors to an exciting, modern and brightly-lit environment to spend the day in. The major retail outlet will also be pleased with its smaller energy bills and greener carbon footprint, made possible by Dexretail’s cutting-edge LED luminaires.

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(+44) 01747 858100
(+44) 01747 858100