Have you ever bought something online or from a big box store that ended up being a dud? It happens to the best of us! When you’re buying socks, it’s not a huge deal. But if you’re shopping for a light fixture to be the focal point of your living room, you shouldn’t leave it up to chance.

The lighting in your home shouldn’t be an afterthought. When you’re looking to update your home’s lighting, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by meeting with a lighting expert.

Big box stores with aisles of cookie-cutter option are convenient when you need to buy a hammer and a doorknob, but they’re not going to offer you the same level of service that you’d get in a lighting showroom. The next time you’re looking to buy lighting for your home, here’s 5 reasons why you should skip the questionable online shopping experience, and drive right past the big box stores to a lighting showroom.

1. Expert Advice

Lighting showroom employees eat, sleep, and breathe lighting. They have a wealth of technical know-how, and they’re eager to share it with you. They know everything about lighting design, and they’ll use this knowledge to give you personalized advice for your own home. Showroom experts care more about finding what’s right for you than on making a quick sale – they’ll help you consider all of the aspects of your lighting design, and can help you find options you may not have considered to get just the right fit for your space.

2. Selection 

Online retailers have a massive variety of lights to choose from, but you have no way to know what it will look like in person until it shows up at your door. Big box stores have a small selection that you can see in person, but they’re limited to a few brands. Lighting showrooms have the best of both worlds. They have a wide variety of fixtures that you can see in person and access to extensive manufacturer catalogs with variations of just about any light you’ll see anywhere. 

3. No Buyers Remorse

Get it right the first time. When you can see your light in person and discuss all of your lighting needs with an expert, you’re way more likely to find exactly what you need the first time around. You’ll be able to see how a fixture is transformed when it lights up, notice details you’d miss in a photo, and get the technical kinks worked out ahead of time. This kind of immersive experience takes the guesswork and stress out of buying your next light fixture, leaving you confident that you made a good purchase.

4. Value 

It’s a common misconception that lighting showrooms are more expensive – but it’s just not true. Lighting showrooms care about providing value, so they carry higher-quality lighting, often for the same prices as the cheaper lights that you can find online. Showroom owners are very particular about their products. If they don’t trust in the craftsmanship of a light fixture, it won’t be in their lineup. You won’t get that same kind quality assurance anywhere else. High quality fixtures last longer, so you won’t have to worry about replacing a broken light again in a year.

5. Service

Showroom owners are pickier about their vendors than online and big box suppliers, and they choose companies that  support their products. At a lighting showroom you’ll get better warranties and more help finding replacement parts. And, if you run across a problem with your fixture, lighting showrooms offer a return service that isn’t a headache in shipping labels and pick up office hours.

Bonus: Support Local Businesses 

Lighting showrooms are independently owned by local families who actually care about you as a person. Buying from a lighting showroom supports a local business, which helps your local economy, creates jobs, and helps build a community. At your local showroom, you’re not just a number in a national sales quota report, you’re a neighbor.

The next time you’re looking for lighting, go ahead and look online. Gather ideas and find things you love, then turn off that computer and head over to Lit Living for unmatched expertise, guaranteed value, and honest service. We’ll help you find exactly what you’re looking for!