Ambiscene light system set to dazzle shops, hotels

"We started approaching the retail sector because it shows the highest growth compared to hotels and restaurants," chairman and CEO Prakorn Makjumroen said yesterday.

"The sector continues to see new small and big retailers entering while current operators continue to expand their branches.

"They can also replace their existing halogen lamps at their shops," he said.

The flexible system allows operators to consistently create an attractive lighting ambience for their premises and product showcases through changing colours without having to change the lights or reinstall the system.

It uses LEDs with a lifespan of 60,000 hours and 16 million colours to save energy.

The lighting system will keep people visiting the establishments and also stimulate them to spend money there, Prakorn told a seminar to introduce the product.

With the new LED technology, the company hopes to become the leader in the medium to high-end shop lighting market within three years.

It already has 15 per cent of the market.

Store lighting accounts for 10 per cent of the overall Bt6.5-billion lighting market but is growing at 20 per cent annually while the whole market is expanding only 5 per cent every year.

Philips has already approached five major retail chains and department stores.

About 300 prospective customers were invited to yesterday's seminar, including architects, lighting designers, interior designers, shop owners and retail operators.

The company plans to directly approach specific groups and potential corporate customers to demonstrate the system's application in depth.

It has already installed the system in some shops of corporate customers.

However, it expects to fully install the system in a franchise business as the first project in the second half of this year.

Prakorn declined to reveal the type of franchise business or value of the project.

The lighting system can support brand identity, product presentation, retail promotion and shopper motivation.

Thailand is the third country in Asia to get the system following Hong Kong last year and Singapore last month.

More countries in the region are expected to follow.

Philips debuted the AmbiScene lighting system in the Netherlands in 2006 and it has spread to many countries in Europe.

Prakorn said the company had no direct competitor as the other 10 major lighting companies sold individual products instead of a whole solution.

In the local market, the system will be targeted for household use in the next half-year.

It is already in use by households in some European countries.