Your retail window display is often the very first opportunity for potential customers to interact with your company, making it an essential part of strong visual merchandising.
It’s vital that these displays stand out against other shop fronts on a high street, precinct or shopping centre, that they represent your brand positively and accurately and that they reflect the current season and trends.
In this article, the team at Ripple will provide you with clear tips and advice on how to improve a shop window display, helping you get to work immediately on creating the best possible first impression!
Top Tips for the Best Possible Window Display
At Ripple, our design specialists have extensive experience of creating eye-catching window display solutions for retailers in all kinds of sectors. Here are a few ideas to help you plan your perfect shop window.
1. Go modular where possible
Modular displays are a really practical option. They are composed of various separate removable and replaceable parts, or “modules”, that can be moved around or swapped whenever required.
This makes it far easier and quicker to adapt displays according to the season or trend, rather than starting your design from scratch each time. Plus, it’s far more sustainable – as modules can be restyled, reused and presented with different formats and looks, significantly reducing waste and cost.
2. Keep it simple
While it’s tempting to try and fit as many of your products as possible into a space that is so visible to passers-by, over-cluttering your display window can divide the attention of your audience, confusing the eye and appearing busy and off-putting.
Instead, try to choose a few stand-out items that reflect your brand in an appealing manner, then present them in a unique and interesting way, allowing enough space for each piece to take the spotlight.
3. Make use of retail window display props
Not everything you display needs to be for sale. In many cases, creating a design that features additional props and set pieces – like surfaces, shelves, boxes, brackets, hanging cables and other items – creates a kind of complementary “stage” to help each item really draw the eye.
Seasonal props can help to set the mood as you prompt passers-by to think about your offerings for the coming months.
If you sell clothing or other wearable products, consider the use of striking mannequins that suit the aesthetic of your brand.
4. Product as display
Alternatively, you could consider creating tableaux or diorama-style displays using only your products! Nothing added, just a well-crafted and attention grabbing set-up exemplifying the visual appeal of the items you sell.
You should think of the arrangement as a storytelling opportunity – a staged scene by using a strong focal point to draw attention of the passing customers and display the key product you are looking to promote. Of course, that scene will change from season to season, but it should always feel strongly connected to your company’s brand identity.
If you go down this route, make sure that the products you choose and the way they are presented offer the capacity to ”hold their own” in a large, prominent space while surrounded by the window displays of the shops on either side.
5. Use engaging graphics
Graphics are an excellent way to add vibrant colours and strong designs to a display without taking up too much floor space.
You could choose posters of any size, including floor-to-ceiling prints. A great approach is to keep the rest of the window bare or minimally decorated, so that you can easily apply a graphic or decal as the main focal point without the chance of distraction.
Your choice of frames and graphic holders is also important here, as you may decide to go sleek and subtle with your presentation style or use bold surrounds that add to the overall aesthetic.
Another great option is to include digital screens with changing visuals to help grab attention or present a wider range of items. These are among the easiest things to update, making changing between seasons and product lines exceptionally straightforward. What’s more, their novelty and the opportunity to include motion will make them more likely to draw the eye.
6. Remember your vertical space
A major element of retail design is the clever use of space. The vertical areas of your window display can easily be overlooked as “dead space”, when, in fact, it can provide the most intriguing canvas of all.
Using shelves, racks and other wall-mounted features can help to fill these empty zones with interest, while plinths and pedestals will allow you to present items at a range of heights.
Remember, simplicity is key – so a well designed hanging display can have significantly more impact than filling a window with product.
7. Light it up
The way you light your window display can change its mood – and its sense of scale and depth – in a big way. Playing with up and down lighting or adjusting the quality of light to be warmer, cooler or coloured will allow you to offer a sense of luxury, class, fun, freshness, modernity, classic comfort or any other vibe you wish to put across.
8. Experiment with materials
Complementary or clashing textures can be very eye-catching and may lend a unique sense of tactile appeal to your display. Consider experimenting with wood grains, metals, fabrics and more to create an interesting backdrop for your products.
Suspended fixtures can provide eye-catching 3D effects by combining materials, such as foamex board, vinyl print and formed plastic.
How often should you re-design a retail shop window?
Your window display designs should be updated regularly, though precisely how often may depend on your industry and the nature of your products.
In most cases, the look of a shop front should adapt to the spring, summer, autumn and winter seasons at the very least. However, the release of a new major product or line should also be accompanied by a change in look.
The launch of a significant new trend or cultural movement may influence a redesign, too.
How do you measure the performance of a shop window display?
There are a range of ways in which the performance of a window display can be assessed. For example, you could collect quantitative data by setting up cameras or sensors to record how many passers-by pause to look at the window, approach it or interact with it in any way.
You might also decide to check sales data from both before and after the installation of your new display. How has it changed? It’s a good idea to track data specifically regarding the products displayed or referenced in your window. Have sales of those particular items increased?
Social listening is another indicator too. Is anyone posting about your new look on social media platforms? What are they saying?
Alternatively, the information you collect could be qualitative. This can be achieved by approaching individuals both inside and directly outside your premises with a survey or by inviting them to fill in feedback forms at point of sale, asking how they feel about the display’s appearance and content.
Remember, incentivising feedback with offers or opportunities is a great way to attract more responses.
How to plan for seasonal changes to window displays
As we’ve already mentioned above, the use of modular displays is one of the most practical ways to make sure the look and content of your premises’ windows can be changed quickly, easily and sustainably.
It could be really beneficial to tie in the changing of your window display with key moments in your overall marketing plan or the launch of new product lines.
Plan well in advance of the changing seasons and be sure to stay ahead of all current and upcoming trends, so that your appearance stays relevant and in tune with the mindset of your wider audience.
For more advice on the creation of your window displays, or to discuss the design services offered by the team at Ripple, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today. We can work with you to present your premises and products in the most appealing way possible.
