How to get the most from your window display
by Jim Connolly
One of the best marketing assets many retailers have, is their window display. It provides you with a way to display or promote key items of merchandise, right in front of a prospective customer.
Whilst a window display should be a major retail sales and marketing asset, many retailers miss out. So, in this article, I want to share some ideas with you, so you get the very best results from your display.
Less is more
When it comes to window displays, less is more. Think of it like this: If you had just one item in your window display, that item would have 100% of the attention, of people looking at the display. If you then added a second item, each item in the display would have 50% of people’s attention. With 30 items on display, each one is having attention distracted from it, by the other 29 items. The key here is not to overcrowd the display with too many things. Put everything in the display that needs to be there, but nothing else. Remember, you can change the display to focus on different merchandise whenever you wish. This leads nicely into the next tip.
Keep your display alive
When someone looks at your window display over a period of a couple of weeks and nothing has changed, they are inclined to start ignoring it. On the other hand, when someone looks at your display and they notice it changes, there is a good reason for them to keep checking it out. Whilst it takes a little time and effort to work on improving your display and keeping it fresh, it’s worth it.
The shop window needs to be really clean
Why? Because not only will your merchandise look better and be more visible behind a clear window, stains tend to attract people’s attention. In many instances, that window and the display will form the first impression a prospective customer will have of your business. Make that first impression as positive as possible.
Get your lighting right
The lighting you use in your window display, should enhance the look of your merchandise. It should make it easy for prospective customers to see the detail of the merchandise. Lighting can also be used to direct people’s attention to certain areas of your display. This is especially useful, if you are looking to promote a particular product line. Many retailers are too budget conscious with their lighting. Get the best you can afford. It will repay the investment, if you use it correctly.
Find your sweet spot
Every window display has a sweet spot. This is the area of your display, which people look at first. Often, it is a central part of the display, but it can be almost anywhere, depending on the layout of your storefront. Spend a little time observing where people tend to start looking first. Then try placing the merchandise you most want to sell, in that sweet spot.
Those are just a few ideas -- things you can do, which are relatively simple, yet can help you attract more customers.
Finally, I hope you found this useful. More importantly, I hope you do something with it.
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