Reporter: Doubao - Recently, a new type of LED light box with a thickness of only 5mm and a 30% reduction in power consumption compared to traditional products has attracted widespread attention in the retail terminal field. This advertising carrier, which combines "ultra-thin form" and "high energy efficiency", is rapidly replacing traditional light boxes with its breakthrough technological advantages, becoming the preferred display tool for shopping malls, chain stores, pop-up stores and other scenarios, and setting off an upsurge of advertising upgrading in retail terminals.

In the window of a fast fashion brand in a large shopping mall in Shanghai, this new type of LED light box has been fully deployed. Compared with the surrounding traditional light boxes, its ultra-thin thickness of 5mm is almost integrated with the window glass. The dynamically playing model catwalk images seem to be suspended in the air, and the average staying time of passers-by has increased by 40% compared with before. "After installation, the store entry rate has increased significantly. The wall space occupied by the original bulky light boxes has also been released, and the display flexibility has been greatly improved," said Ms. Li, the regional operation director of the brand. After replacing the light boxes in the first batch of 12 stores, the average daily electricity cost per store has been reduced by nearly 30 yuan. Based on the scale of more than 100 stores across the country, the annual electricity cost savings will exceed 100,000 yuan.

The double breakthrough of this LED light box stems from the innovation of core optical technology. According to the technical director of the R&D enterprise, the product adopts an upgraded nano-level light guide plate and a high-efficiency LED backlight module. Through the precise diffusion point design of laser engraving, the side light source is perfectly converted into a uniform surface light source, which completely solves the problem of "uneven brightness and shadows" of traditional light boxes, and the light uniformity reaches more than 90%. At the same time, combined with the intelligent power management chip, the light box can automatically adjust the brightness according to the ambient light. It ensures clear visibility with a high brightness of 5000cd/㎡ during the day, and automatically switches to energy-saving mode at night. The minimum power consumption per square meter is only 18W, which is nearly 60% lower than the average power consumption of 45W of traditional light boxes. Even based on the 30% conservative estimate proposed by users, it far exceeds the average energy-saving level of the industry.

In addition to the core advantages of energy saving and ultra-thinness, the practical design of this light box also accurately meets the needs of retail scenarios. It adopts an aviation-grade aluminum alloy frame, with a weight as light as 0.5kg/㎡. It not only supports multiple installation methods such as wall mounting, embedding and hoisting, but also can be customized into special shapes such as circles and arcs according to the brand logo. A milk tea brand in Hangzhou used this feature to customize a "cup-shaped" light box to display promotional activities. During the May Day holiday, the store's turnover exceeded 600,000 yuan, a year-on-year surge of 250%. Among them, 40% of customers said that they "were attracted to enter the store by the unique light box images".

Driven by both policies and the market, the popularization speed of new LED light boxes is accelerating. At present, many places in China have implemented support policies for "green commerce", and energy-saving advertising equipment can enjoy certain energy consumption subsidies. The demand for "lightweight and high store efficiency" display tools in the retail industry is also becoming increasingly urgent. Data shows that in the first half of 2025, the market share of ultra-thin LED light boxes in the retail advertising equipment market has exceeded 45%, an increase of 20 percentage points compared with the same period last year, and the order proportion of ultra-thin models with a thickness of less than 5mm has exceeded 60%.

Industry experts pointed out that the rise of new LED light boxes is not only a technological upgrade of advertising carriers, but also promotes a "visual revolution" in retail scenarios. "It transforms advertising from a simple information transmission tool into a core element that enhances spatial aesthetics and strengthens consumer interaction." With the gradual integration of functions such as AI interaction and AR display, LED light boxes are expected to become an "intelligent entrance" for retail connecting online and offline in the future, creating greater value for the industry.