Rona Guelph LED Retrofit Case Study
A Retail Lighting Upgrade Focused on Visibility, Experience, and Long-Term Value.
Rona Guelph is a locally operated home improvement retailer serving contractors, trades, and DIY customers in the Guelph area. As a high-traffic retail environment with large floor plates, varied ceiling heights, and product-dense aisles, consistent lighting performance is essential to both customer experience and daily operations.
Client Overview
Rona Guelph is a locally operated home improvement retailer serving contractors, trades, and DIY customers in the Guelph area. As a high-traffic retail environment with large floor plates, varied ceiling heights, and product-dense aisles, consistent lighting performance is essential to both customer experience and daily operations. When new ownership took over Rona Guelph, lighting quickly emerged as a priority. Despite having an LED system already in place, the store remained one of the darkest environments the owner had worked in. Uneven light levels, shadowed areas, and a tired overall atmosphere made it clear that the existing lighting was not doing the job.
The Challenge
Rona Guelph was not operating under outdated fluorescent lighting. The store already had LED fixtures installed, but the performance fell short of what a modern retail environment demands. Certain areas of the store remained dim, labels and fine print were difficult to read, and staff worked long shifts under lighting that contributed to fatigue.
Customers had previously commented on the store feeling dark, particularly in areas where visibility and colour accuracy matter. Ownership wanted a solution that would materially improve brightness, consistency, and usability without unnecessary disruption or reliance on short-life, consumable lighting products.
Rona Guelph Before and After the LED Retrofit
The Solution
Think Green Solutions completed a full lighting assessment and developed a location-specific LED design for Rona Guelph. The focus was not simply replacing fixtures, but improving light placement, distribution, and performance across different areas of the store.
High-bay retail spaces, offices, and lower-ceiling zones were each addressed with appropriate lighting strategies to deliver consistent illumination throughout the building. Think Green Solutions managed the entire process, including design, recommendations, coordination with electricians, and scheduling.
Installation was completed in phases during store operating hours, allowing Rona Guelph to remain open with minimal disruption. Store staff were not required to manage or coordinate the work, keeping internal effort to a minimum. As Paul Sharp puts it, “they laid out the options, they made the recommendations, and I could just basically approve the project on that. It was a full service operation.”
Results
“A lot of customers used to say we had a very dark store,” says Paul Sharp, Dealer/Owner of Rona Guelph. Now he gets a lot of customer comments about how much brighter and more energetic the store feels.
The project paid off on the numbers too. Having the energy audit done let Paul see “what my savings would be, as well as what my payback is over the next few years.” In his words, it was “a win-win solution where I improved the shopping environment but I saw a financial return as well.”
Improved Visibility and Customer Experience
Following installation, Rona Guelph experienced a noticeable improvement in brightness and visual clarity across the sales floor. Dark pockets were eliminated, aisles became more evenly lit, and product labels were easier to read. Customers commented that the store felt brighter, cleaner, and easier to shop, particularly in departments where fine detail and colour selection are important. Improved lighting also helped create a more inviting retail environment, supporting longer dwell times and a more comfortable shopping experience.
Better Working Conditions for Staff
Employees at Rona Guelph reported feeling more alert and less fatigued during long shifts. Staff working eight to twelve hour days described the new lighting as more natural and comfortable, making extended time on the floor or at workstations easier to manage. Multiple team members noted higher energy levels at the end of their shifts, reinforcing the impact that lighting quality can have on day-to-day operations and employee experience.
Confidence in the Overall Outcome
Think Green Solutions provided clear guidance throughout the project, including recommendations that prioritized performance and value rather than oversizing the scope. Ownership appreciated the transparent approach and the focus on delivering meaningful improvements where they mattered most.
A Solution, Not Just New Lights
Client Testimonial
What I liked about the Think solution was that it was a solution and it wasn't just replacing lights. It was about placing of lights to maximize retail exposure and to create a better shopping environment for our consumers.
Dealer/Owner, Rona Guelph
Why Think Green Solutions
For Rona Guelph, the value of the project went beyond brighter lights. Think Green Solutions delivered a complete lighting solution designed around retail performance, employee comfort, and long-term reliability.
By acting as a single point of accountability for design, coordination, and installation, Think Green Solutions removed complexity from the process and delivered a lighting system built to perform consistently for years, not just at installation.
Think Green Solutions has completed over $75M in retrofit projects, and its longest-running projects are more than 16 years old with a failure rate under 5%. To find out what an upgrade could save at your store, book a free lighting energy audit or explore our LED retrofit projects and solutions.
