NEW JERSEY WINE RETAILER SEES THE LIGHT
Amerlux Products Bring Visual Appeal, Savings to State’s Largest Purveyor of Fine Wine
FAIRFIELD, N.J., March 3, 2009 – Gary Fisch has seen the light, more specifically, how light impacts the product presentation and desirability at his retail wine enterprise with his customers. More than one year ago, as he made plans to open the Wayne, N.J., location of Gary’s Wine & Marketplace – the third location of his fine wine retail establishment – he came to realize the central importance of lighting in his store.
“Working with my architect, we realized we could light the new space to give our products tremendous visual appeal while reducing their risk to exposure. We also discovered a way to be more efficient in our energy consumption and save money, too,” said Fisch, president of Gary’s Wine & Marketplace.
Filling the cavernous warehouse-style space with custom manufactured track and task lighting by Amerlux Lighting Solutions, Fisch surpassed his goal of eliminating heat output that might damage both his rare vintages and cost friendly “Economy Buster” vintages, while simultaneously reducing the fading of wine labels that can occur after a period of close proximity to light sources. Fisch said he has realized a savings of between 22 and 28 percent on his utility expenses compared to his other locations in Madison and Bernardsville.
No stranger to environmentally-friendly offerings, Gary’s has an established reputation for its popular “Gary’s Green Selections.” So it came as no surprise to his architects, Tricarico Architecture and Design, that he would pursue an opportunity to invest in eco-conscious design options.
“There was a concern at the beginning that due to the size of the space, it might be overwhelming and Gary wanted his customers to experience a warm, welcoming environment that offered green elements,” noted Nicole Tricarico, the interior designer who helped create the space in Wayne for Gary’s. “When the lighting came into play, we saw our best ‘green’ opportunity that also made the feel of light very natural. Because of the nature of the Amerlux products, we were able to go green, efficient and beautiful.”
The incorporation of the Evoke 2.9” aperture recessed downlights from Amerlux in the stylish Wine Room sets a perfect mood for Gary’s customers looking for exclusive, rare vintages in a rich and stylish environment. The main store features low wattage HID Ceramic Metal Halide high CRI lamps in 20W and 70W, making it a highly energy efficient store with better color rendering than its peers. In addition, all of the Amerlux units were supplied with GOLD reflectors to bring the lamp Kelvin temperature down to a warmer +/- 2700k (closer to incandescent), again, protecting the wines from potential heat damage.
“At Amerlux, our mantra is to focus on the look of light,” explained Chuck Campagna, president and CEO of Amerlux Lighting Solutions. “The presentation at Gary’s Wayne location is a perfect example that shows his customers, in a very visual way, how great lighting can make something look extraordinarily desirable. And we did it in a way that met the owner’s sensibilities while reducing operating expenses.”
About Gary’s
Gary’s Wine & Marketplace began as a small wine shop in Madison, N.J., in 1987 and has grown to become one of the largest fine wine businesses in the New York metropolitan area with three stores in Northern New Jersey. Commitment to friendly, attentive service by knowledgeable employees and myriad wine and food events for the public sets Gary’s apart from other wine stores. Visit Gary’s at www.garyswine.com.
About Amerlux
Amerlux (www.amerlux.com) manufactures architectural grade, energy efficient lighting solutions for the retail, supermarket, hospitality, commercial and outdoor lighting markets. Amerlux products utilize the latest in light source and electronic ballast technology that, when combined with the company’s core competency in luminaire and optic design, provides just the right light for the application with the least energy consumed. The Amerlux product range spans track, recessed downlights and multiples, pendants, linear fluorescent and specialty lighting systems.
