“LED quality is finally here to deliver to retailers.” That was the sentiment of one lighting manufacturer from the trade show floor at this year’s EuroShop. The company – Bridgelux (Livermore, Calif.) – was a first-time exhibitor at the show and was displaying its vertically integrated LED Arrays in a variety of shelf and display settings inside its booth to illustrate its message to attendees.

Walking both EuroShop and GlobalShop this year, it’s clear that LEDs have come a long way since their debut more than 10 years ago. Today, the lamps have better color rendering and lumen output. Even the costs are coming down. So much has changed, in fact, that many suppliers and manufacturers are talking about using LEDs for general retail illumination.

At EuroShop, ERCO GmbH (Ludenscheid, Germany) decided to bring that point to life by illuminating its entire booth with LEDs. The company says the space had the same light levels as the 2008 show but used 65 percent less energy. Its new Logotec LED range of spotlights and recessed lights delivered much of that light with an interchangeable Spherolit lens that offers application-oriented light distributions, from narrow to wide and oval beams.

Zumtobel (Dorbirn, Austria) took an educational approach to its booth at EuroShop by simulating a variety of shop areas for visitors to see application-focused lighting. Its new Ilon LED spotlight uses a lens/reflector system for high-precision uniform accent lighting with a variety of beam patterns and comes in two design sizes and various wattages.

The integration of lighting and fixtures is another trend on display at the trade shows this year. While traditional lighting strategies call for installing lamps into the ceiling, today’s products are being designed for shelving or fixtures, bringing the light source right to the product.

“We’re moving to an era where the light is very specific to a fixture or the shelf,” says Brian Shafley, president, Chute Gerdeman (Columbus, Ohio). “If light sources are part of the fixtures, you have more freedom of movement.”

Hera Lighting’s (Norcross, Ga.) new QPad-LED is a low-profile, surface-mounted LED spotlight that requires no drilling. The unit has a square configuration and uses only 7.5 watts. It also features dimmer capabilities, a newer option among LED products.

Galileo from WAC Lighting (Garden City, N.Y.) is a multichip product that puts together 12-24 LEDs to look like a single source point for a cleaner design. The unit’s small footprint makes it easier to use for total illumination.

For grocers and supermarkets, Nualight’s (Dublin, Ireland) Alto 530 is a discreet light source that uses a directional light beam through a diffused cover to make the LED light source invisible to consumers while putting the illumination on the food displays.

LED technology will continue to change at the speed of, well, light, meaning retailers and designers will continue to have a variety of new products available to illuminate their spaces.