The wife and I arrived at Countdown a few minutes after 2:30, and the difference was noticeable immediately. You enter the store through the fruit and vegetable section and there all the ceiling lights were off and the only illumination was that that came through the front windows and lights from the chiller cabinets around the perimeter of the section. Immediately, I was aware that there was no background music, and the checkouts were silent – no beeps at all. The chillers were still noisy and the noise of the refrigeration units in the nearby deli ahd specialty foods could still be clearly heard, but over all it wasn’t unpleasant.
Throughout the rest of the store, the strip lighting down the centre of each aisle had each alternate fluorescent tube switched off. It was still a little on the bright side for myself, but the wife found it most pleasant. One aisle had all the strip lighting turned off and the only illumination was from the adjacent aisles. This was perfect for me, but perhaps inadequate for some.
Unfortunately the warm pink/red illumination over the meat chillers seemed even more prominent with the lower level of lighting and it meant that I had to be extra careful where I directed my gaze when heading in their direction. As the meats take up half the rear of the store, if I was by myself, I would need to traverse the store in a series of loops instead of a simple up one aisle, down the next. Something like up aisle 6, down aisle 1, up aisle 7 down aisle 2, up aisle 8, down aisle 3 etc. However, I realise that in all probability, I’m the only person that’s affected by this type of lighting, and can’t expect Countdown to be aware of this condition.
On the whole I enjoyed the experience, and will make it a habit of shopping there at that time. I’m not sure if the checkout operators enjoyed it so much. The scanner beeps were so quiet, that they often had to check the till screen to be sure that an item had been scanned. The volume could have been turned up just a tad to make their work a little easier.
Congratulations Countdown. Your effort is most appreciated by this reviewer. You are now my favourite supermarket in Feilding!
Another Spectrum 
23 Oct, 2019 at 11:08 pm
I doubt you are the only person affected by the meat lighting. People will put up with it, as you do, but others will find it unpleasant or difficult. A bulb, damaged and flickering, nearly drove me out of a cafe on Sunday.
23 Oct, 2019 at 11:17 pm
Perhaps. I don’t put up with it. I make a conscientious effort to avoid looking at them, otherwise I go into a migraine state where I loose all knowledge of self, where I become confused about where I am and fail to recognise the meaning of most nouns. I don’t remember most of these events but those that I do are quite scarey after the event. I’m too confused during the event to experience emotions.
23 Oct, 2019 at 11:42 pm
I think they have bright lighting in supermarkets to make us spend more.
Glad to hear you had a good time shopping in a quiet shop.
24 Oct, 2019 at 4:19 am
I can’t bear overly bright lighting in stores, I wear sunglasses or tinted plain glasses as I have light sensitive eyes, therefore it’s very unpleasant, but it’s nothing like as grim as the wrong lighting affects you. I empathise some all the same. I’d love to find some darker places but as of yet none exist close to me.
Esme waving at Barry in her dark glasses looking like Elizabeth Taylor upon the Cloud
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