Advice for Retailers

Retail Window Displays

Retail window displays can draw customers into your store and create a strong brand. We offer advice on how to make the most of your store window displays.

A neat, eye-catching window display is an effective way to stop pedestrian traffic and entice people to enter your store.

To be sure, retail window displays have become more prominent and more sophisticated.

When was the last time you walked past a store window that didn't have some sort of graphic display?

Whether you operate a one-of-a-kind boutique or a chain store with hundreds of locations nationwide, you've got to master the art of retail window displays.

You've come to the right place, mind you. If you are wondering how to grab the attention of a busy person and lure them into your store to make a purchase, we've got some great tips for you.

• Grab their attention. First and foremost, a retail window display must be eye catching. It takes only a few seconds to walk past a store window. If you don't grab their attention, you've lost the sale. Priority one is to divert the focus of the shopper to your store. At a minimum, your store windows need to be more edgy and engaging than the competition next door to you and across the street.
• Work with your vendors. Many retailers neglect to contact their vendors for help on retail window displays. That's a mistake. Vendors will be happy to provide you with posters, banners and retail POP displays that you can put in your store windows. If you are on a tight budget, this can be a way to get a decent retail window display with minimal cost and minimal effort. It also directly promotes something that you sell. The downside is that you have little creative control over these materials.
• Work with artists. Sure you could hire a Madison Avenue advertising agency to design your retail window displays, but you may find better cheaper talent simply by engaging the local art community. For example, an office supply store might contract a local artist to create large paintings of old-fashioned quill pens to promote a sale on pens. Alternatively, art galleries often will lend interesting pieces to you around which you can build a compelling retail window display.
• It's not just about you. Consider making your windows available to local nonprofit organizations that are promoting a good cause. Window displays used for community projects often create good will for the retailer.
• Show your holiday spirit. If Valentines Day is coming up, tie your window display into the holiday in some way. For every holiday, even obscure holidays, there is probably a clever way to promote your store with marketing messaging that ties into the holiday.
• Think outside the window box. Instead of just putting up a Christmas display in your store window, why not wrap your entire store in holiday lights? Don't constrain yourself just to your windows like your competitors do. Think about ways to use the outside of the building in addition to or in conjunction with the window displays.
• Be a quick change artist. Stale window displays will quickly be tuned out by passersby. It's a good idea to change your windows at least every month. Smart retailers put in place a window display plan for the year and then execute the plan. In that way, you know when you will be changing out your windows and can prepare accordingly.
• Don't forget lighting.Retail window displays should be well-lit day and night. Even after the store is closed, it's a good idea to light up your window displays so that your marketing continues even while you and your workers are not at the store. Good daytime lighting is also important as it helps to avoid shadows that can limit the effectiveness of your window display.
• Keep those windows clean. Nothing ruins a retail window display faster than a filthy window. Keep your windows clean to maximize the effectiveness of your window dispays.
• Buy a digital camera. Remember that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. As you walk around the world, you'll no doubt see other retailer's window displays. Use these ideas to fuel your own creativity. By buying a digital camera and keeping it with you at all times, you can take pictures of window displays you like and then review them later. Without a camera, there's a good chance you'll forget what you saw.

As a retailer, there are so many things you can spend your time on. Don't forget to allocate time to your retail window displays because they can truly be a huge contributor to growing revenues and an expanding customer base.

Don't let that "window" of opportunity pass you by.

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