Delight Lighting store goes dark

Delight Lighting, Inc., once proud to be the only store on its block, is boxing up to head elsewhere.

Delight was the one shop on its section of East Charleston Road in Palo Alto to withstand the construction of the Taube-Koret Campus for Jewish Life next door. Now, mixed among the remaining pendants and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling are “remodeling sale” signs with discounts of up to 80 percent. From the outside, huge signs proclaiming “everything must go” can be seen in the windows.

For owner Shimon Avrahami, the move is simply a reflection of the changing times.

“We’re downsizing. Everything goes slower in the economy,” Avrahami said.

A combination of unnecessary space, high rent and a decline in profit over the past couple years are prompting the move. Avrahami said it has nothing to do with the Campus for Jewish Life next door, which brought him new customers and more exposure.

His store, which took eight months to build, will take only two weeks to pack up, Avrahami said.

“We’ll be here for another three or four days and after that we’re putting the stuff in boxes and moving,” he said Tuesday.

Avrahami recalled putting all his money into securing the building he has leased for the past four years.

“Just give me four walls,” he said at the time, excited by the prospect of moving his business from Birch Street near California Avenue to the larger 6,000-square-foot building. Now he’s realized there is no need for so much space.

“We could operate from 1,500 to 2,000 square feet,” he said.

But a smaller store doesn’t mean smaller scale for Avrahami. He has big plans to expand his online business so people can browse from the comfort of their own home.

“I want to mainly switch everything to operate online but also be available by appointment,” Avrahami said.

His new task, then, is to conserve, he said — both the space his business needs and the energy in people’s homes. He boasts he could cut the energy use in any home by half with his energy-efficient lights.

Avrahami has been in the lighting business in the United States for 18 years and feels he knows it well. He has been operating with a four-employee team at his family-run business since opening on East Charleston Road and together they offer what they call “the ultimate lighting experience”.

“I bring lights to people,” Avrahami said. All types of lights. His store is an eclectic mix of pendants, sconces, chandeliers, vanity lights, ceiling fixtures and energy-efficient models.

The future location of Delight Lighting hasn’t been decided, he said. Until then, his store’s website and phone number will remain the same. The location, once determined, will be posted on the website.