Whether you’re working for a chain, a small independent retailer or even if you’re planning your first pop-up store, the festive period comes with its own set of challenges. One of those is the festive display.
At this time of year, your festive display can be one of your most powerful marketing assets. Get it right and you’ll stand out from the competition and in turn attract an increased amount of footfall to those that don’t quite make the mark.
Think of it as an opportunity to get your brand voice and personality across to new and returning customers. This is your chance to engage with shoppers on another level, bring them into your store and increase the chance of sales. But, how do you go about ensuring your display is a cut above the others?
Here are some key points to consider when planning your festive display.
Tell a story
Christmas is an emotional time, so therefore its prime time for you to use your brand voice to connect with shoppers. The best marketing campaigns and displays typically tend to be the ones that tell a story, one look at how popular the John Lewis ads are will tell you that. This translates well to their stores, with the characters from their Christmas ads often featuring in their window displays.
It’s not just the window
Although the window display is viewed as the ‘main event’, it’s not all you have to think about. The window display is the vehicle that will bring shoppers into your store, but what happens when they’re inside? Filling your store with bespoke festive displays in-store is important too, not to mention the need to have more stock on the shop floor to accommodate the influx of customers. To manage this demand, it’s important to plan your retail shelving. Whether you’ll need to purchase or rent extra shelving, be sure to get this sorted in advance to avoid any last-minute panic.
Lighting
Lighting in displays can often be an afterthought; however, this severely limits the potential you have in fully bringing your display to life. In window displays specifically, lights can work wonders in catching the eye of any passer-by’s and getting them to pay attention to the rest of the display. You can also use lighting to your advantage, highlighting particular items of stock and directing your customers to specific items.
Get feedback
Lots of time is spent planning these displays, but all that planning can go to waste if you don’t properly monitor how your customers are reacting to the displays. Feedback is vital in mastering festive displays that properly connect with prospective shoppers. Everyone and everywhere is different and this will again change year upon year. What worked one year in one location could entirely flop in another time and place.
Stay focused
When planning and installing your festive displays, remember to never lose sight of your end goal. As well as sales, it might be that you’re wanting to raise brand awareness, whatever it is keep it at the forefront of your mind and you’re sure to reach your goal.
