There’s a reason there are no “Big Box Stores” for lighting. The business of selling lighting is hard to get right. There are subtle nuances of scale and light output that only experience can serve. Accessories, shoes, books- all these things are easily purchased online and just as easily returned should the buyer decide not to keep them for whatever reason. Lighting is a bit different. Many lighting companies have restocking fees and associated return freight charges. The website may make returns seem easy, and many are surprised when they go to return a light and are hit with a 25% restocking fee plus the shipping back.
Then there’s the issue of damage. We inspect each item that enters our warehouse door and we know where and how to look for the damage. Here is a common scenario- a customer orders a product that comes in the mail, opens the box and takes a cursory look. Everything appears fine. They contract an electrician who comes to do the install. The electrician spends an hour opening the box and assembling the fixture only to notice just prior to the install that there are hairline cracks in the frame of the fixture. The electrician tells the customer they must get a new fixture because he/she cannot hang this one. The homeowner must still pay the electrician a travel charge, usually around $65, and 1 hour of labor, usually around $100. The customer must contact the website, print out a shipping label, and wait until the item is returned and inspected on the other end before a new one is shipped. Now it’s been 2 weeks and the customer is already out $165 and nothing has even been installed yet. Or take the same scenario and replace a damaged fixture with a fixture that is too small, or too dim, or too modern, or too whatever. A consumer may have good luck buying online once or even twice, but if one consistently purchases lighting online or attempts to buy lighting for a whole house, that person will end up paying more. On average an online lighting purchaser will end up paying 15-20% more than if they had gone to their local lighting showroom. The reasons are obvious, because you can view size and scale, finish color and quality and be guided through the process by an experienced Lighting Specialist.
Plus, we offer free delivery, free storage until your project is ready, and product Service for 1 year. This means that if your lighting has any issues in the first year we come out and fix it! Let’s see the Amazon do that; they haven’t made a drone yet that can hang a light! Plus you can always contact your salesperson should you forget what type of bulb you need to buy or which dimmer works with your LED chandelier or for any of the myriad of questions lighting can produce.
If you are in the market for lighting, come see us at 3909 Bee Ridge Rd. and one of our experienced Lighting Specialists will be happy to guide you through the process!
