ENHANCING YOUR DISPLAYS
ENHANCING YOUR DISPLAYS
One big question I’m often asked is “how often should I change the window?”
If you are in an area with a lot of repeat walk-by traffic, every two weeks is your best bet.
If you have mainly drive-by traffic, once a month - and make a strong color change to
attract attention. If you are in a mall - strip or enclosed, once every three weeks should do
the trick.
The same goes for your interior displays. Your merchandise should move around at the
very least, once a month. Not only will it create better energy in your store - but it will
also keep your store cleaner!
If you window is a see-through into your store, consider using a sheer fabric hanging
straight behind each themed display. The fabric colors can match your color displays or
can be all the same to give a unified appearance to the window. Fabrics get dusty, fade
and look old within a month. They are a temporary window display - not permanent!
Over the work years (38 so far), I’ve seen buildups and risers that bring tears of pain to
my eyes. Beautiful new gift items look like you know what when displayed on boxes
covered in paper, yellowed and scratched ancient plexi, cardboard or dirty wood boxes
and fabric covered cardboard that has warped and frayed with use and time.
New risers are an investment worth making. New plexi can be bought for decent prices
from companies all over the USA including Azar (800-959-1295.) For example, a 3/16”
thick clear acrylic riser that is 12”x12”x12” is $12, 6”x6”x6” is $6, the 3”x3”x3” is $3
easy to order, easy to price. They also sell a special cleaning liquid for plexi that
keeps it from yellowing, scratching and getting cloudy.
Another material for risers is wood which can be painted, laminated, stained or covered
in material (really neatly, no patterns please.)
Wood can be more costly and it gives a heavier, more solid look to the display.
If wood works with your overall store theme, it has an excellent energy and create a
quality presentation. Dark woods indicate higher costs while light woods give the illusion
of affordability. White washed wood can go either way.
Alternate buildups can be made of found materials such as upside down terra cotta pots,
pieces of polished glass or mirror resting on clear or colorful glasses, bricks, wood blocks
or candle sticks. Your imagination is limited only by practicality and safety. Admittedly,
two big issues!
When you buy for your store it should be with an eye for how and where each piece will
be displayed.
Groupings: When you go to showrooms items are usually grouped together suggesting
through their display that they should be bought as a group by you, displayed that way in
your store and, of course, your customer will buy the group as is. Needless to say, it
rarely works that way. In reality, there are always some winners and some baddies in
these “grouped” selections. If you’ve been in business for awhile, you know the
difference - that’s why your’e still in business! Select the goodies, forget the baddies, and
select companion pieces for the goodies considering color, material, concept and size.
For example, if you find a great group of Delft blue accessoires but only 5 pieces
are truly terrific, consider solids to fill in the selection. Look for matching blue pieces or
think about picking either gold, terra cotta or lemon yellow as a solid colored accessory
to enhance your blue and white pieces.
Size counts. Try to buy pieces in a large variety of sizes to create interesting
displays. Ideally, there should be a gradation from short to tall, small to large on your
table, shelf or in your window.
Lights and darks need to be balanced. If you have a group of all black accessories,
break it up with another solid in a light tone. From my recent experience - black and gold
work well together.
Balancing the colors also relates to a multi-colored arrangement. If you have a rainbow of
colors in one classification and they really work well as a group - check out your brights
to make sure they are scattered fairly evenly throughout the display. Yellow and white
are the two colors that pop and can be used to lead the eye around the display. Don’t
concentrate the cools in one place and the brights in the other if you want the rainbow
look. If, however, the rainbow effect doesn’t work visually - group cools (blues, greens,
violets) together and warms (reds, oranges, yellows, browns) together.
One of a kind fabulous items are great if you have pedestals to show them on - or
windows where you can highlight each piece with a mini halogen spot so it glows like the
wonder it is. With some one-of-kind items you can find ancillary pieces that work with it
to create a grouping. The “find” becomes the focal point and the extras are there to
enhance its glory. The extras are pieces that work both visually and practically with the
fab item. For example, if you find a one-of-a-kind tea pot, put it on a buildup and find
cups and saucers that work with it by color, style or feel. If you have a ceramic cat, place
it next to a (rinsed out, empty) small cream carton for a fun display in your window or on
a shelf. Unexpected elements add interest and personality to your displays and your store.
PROPS
What is the prime form of display along many main streets? Often it’s a lonely
garment hanging limply in a window - which often sums up the level of imagination of
many small stores.
To get more bang for your buck use props to draw attention to your window and
interior displays. What kind of props and where to get them is the subject of this article.
First, you don’t want your props to overwhelm your merchandise - the point is to
enhance, not hide the attributes of your selection. After picking out the merchandise
you want to display, look at the selection and decide what it suggests to you. Clothing
suggests different things by it fabric, end use, lifestyle, and attitude. Each of these things
can influence prop selection.
One way to discover great props is at tag or garage sales.... old mantle pieces,
empty frames, garden equipment that can be painted in bright or neutral colors- in fact
anything can be painted to look sculptural. Imagine a pyramid of shoes, hot glued
together and painted black or white... as a buildup for other shoes or accessories. Old
books, typewriters, bicycles, any sports equipment, you name it... can make an interesting
prop. Antique signs or photographs look interesting with retro looks. These are called
“found object props” and outside of tag sales, you may find all sorts of things in
basements, attics, on the street, or in flea markets.
Your local hardware store is a goldmine of props. Think about all the potential
uses for clothesline, buckets, ladders, nails and wood, utility lights, tiles, terra cotta pots,
brooms, snow shovels, etc. A Connecticut furrier recently put in windows that
complimented his ads. The signs said “A Blizzard of a Sale!” and each mannequin held a
child’s red snow shovel at a different angle. The shovels had some fake snow (available
in Christmas stores) hanging off them onto the floor.
Consider borrowing props from your neighbors. Antique stores are often very
amenable to loaning interesting pieces when they are given a nicely written credit in your
window. The credit need not be huge - a 3”x5” card on a little stand will do the trick as
long as it isn’t hidden!
Many other stores will loan merchandise for window credits. Consider unusual
sporting goods such as rafts, tents, archery, croquet, golf, racquetball or polo. A boating
store may loan you a sunfish or rowboat if your window is really large. Hint... don’t just
measure your window but also measure the path to the window for any oversized props.
An unusual prop idea for casual sports clothing is the use of bright red and yellow
lawn mowers. Try a fencing company for colorful fences or a local florist for beautiful
dried flower arrangements or wreaths. A credit can go a long way... they are getting extra
window attention and appreciation from a whole new customer base.
Using your merchandise as a prop can also work only if your hangers, buildups,
forms and mannequins are interesting. Avoid at all costs the dreaded “draped and dead in
the window” look. If you have interesting shopping bags, they can be stuffed and used in
rows for a repetitive look or arranged into a pyramid. Messages can come out of the bags
to advertise a sale or specials.
When needed you can always buy props from display houses. There are some
fantastic things being made every day by display manufacturers all over the world. Local
companies are often listed under “Display” in the phone book but you can also consider
going the display show in NYC in the spring at the Jacob Javits Center or the other
display show (more fixture than display oriented - but very good) in Chicago.
ENHANCING YOUR DISPLAYS - To learn more about this author, visit Linda Cahan's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
ENHANCING YOUR DISPLAYS
One big question I’m often asked is “how often should I change the window?”
If you are in an area with a lot of repeat walk-by traffic, every two weeks is your best bet.
If you have mainly drive-by traffic, once a month - and make a strong color change to
attract attention. If you are in a mall - strip or enclosed, once every three weeks should do
the trick.
The same goes for your interior displays. Your merchandise should move around at the
very least, once a month. Not only will it create better energy in your store - but it will
also keep your store cleaner!
If you window is a see-through into your store, consider using a sheer fabric hanging
straight behind each themed display. The fabric colors can match your color displays or
can be all the same to give a unified appearance to the window. Fabrics get dusty, fade
and look old within a month. They are a temporary window display - not permanent!
Over the work years (38 so far), I’ve seen buildups and risers that bring tears of pain to
my eyes. Beautiful new gift items look like you know what when displayed on boxes
covered in paper, yellowed and scratched ancient plexi, cardboard or dirty wood boxes
and fabric covered cardboard that has warped and frayed with use and time.
New risers are an investment worth making. New plexi can be bought for decent prices
from companies all over the USA including Azar (800-959-1295.) For example, a 3/16”
thick clear acrylic riser that is 12”x12”x12” is $12, 6”x6”x6” is $6, the 3”x3”x3” is $3
easy to order, easy to price. They also sell a special cleaning liquid for plexi that
keeps it from yellowing, scratching and getting cloudy.
Another material for risers is wood which can be painted, laminated, stained or covered
in material (really neatly, no patterns please.)
Wood can be more costly and it gives a heavier, more solid look to the display.
If wood works with your overall store theme, it has an excellent energy and create a
quality presentation. Dark woods indicate higher costs while light woods give the illusion
of affordability. White washed wood can go either way.
Alternate buildups can be made of found materials such as upside down terra cotta pots,
pieces of polished glass or mirror resting on clear or colorful glasses, bricks, wood blocks
or candle sticks. Your imagination is limited only by practicality and safety. Admittedly,
two big issues!
When you buy for your store it should be with an eye for how and where each piece will
be displayed.
Groupings: When you go to showrooms items are usually grouped together suggesting
through their display that they should be bought as a group by you, displayed that way in
your store and, of course, your customer will buy the group as is. Needless to say, it
rarely works that way. In reality, there are always some winners and some baddies in
these “grouped” selections. If you’ve been in business for awhile, you know the
difference - that’s why your’e still in business! Select the goodies, forget the baddies, and
select companion pieces for the goodies considering color, material, concept and size.
For example, if you find a great group of Delft blue accessoires but only 5 pieces
are truly terrific, consider solids to fill in the selection. Look for matching blue pieces or
think about picking either gold, terra cotta or lemon yellow as a solid colored accessory
to enhance your blue and white pieces.
Size counts. Try to buy pieces in a large variety of sizes to create interesting
displays. Ideally, there should be a gradation from short to tall, small to large on your
table, shelf or in your window.
Lights and darks need to be balanced. If you have a group of all black accessories,
break it up with another solid in a light tone. From my recent experience - black and gold
work well together.
Balancing the colors also relates to a multi-colored arrangement. If you have a rainbow of
colors in one classification and they really work well as a group - check out your brights
to make sure they are scattered fairly evenly throughout the display. Yellow and white
are the two colors that pop and can be used to lead the eye around the display. Don’t
concentrate the cools in one place and the brights in the other if you want the rainbow
look. If, however, the rainbow effect doesn’t work visually - group cools (blues, greens,
violets) together and warms (reds, oranges, yellows, browns) together.
One of a kind fabulous items are great if you have pedestals to show them on - or
windows where you can highlight each piece with a mini halogen spot so it glows like the
wonder it is. With some one-of-kind items you can find ancillary pieces that work with it
to create a grouping. The “find” becomes the focal point and the extras are there to
enhance its glory. The extras are pieces that work both visually and practically with the
fab item. For example, if you find a one-of-a-kind tea pot, put it on a buildup and find
cups and saucers that work with it by color, style or feel. If you have a ceramic cat, place
it next to a (rinsed out, empty) small cream carton for a fun display in your window or on
a shelf. Unexpected elements add interest and personality to your displays and your store.
PROPS
What is the prime form of display along many main streets? Often it’s a lonely
garment hanging limply in a window - which often sums up the level of imagination of
many small stores.
To get more bang for your buck use props to draw attention to your window and
interior displays. What kind of props and where to get them is the subject of this article.
First, you don’t want your props to overwhelm your merchandise - the point is to
enhance, not hide the attributes of your selection. After picking out the merchandise
you want to display, look at the selection and decide what it suggests to you. Clothing
suggests different things by it fabric, end use, lifestyle, and attitude. Each of these things
can influence prop selection.
One way to discover great props is at tag or garage sales.... old mantle pieces,
empty frames, garden equipment that can be painted in bright or neutral colors- in fact
anything can be painted to look sculptural. Imagine a pyramid of shoes, hot glued
together and painted black or white... as a buildup for other shoes or accessories. Old
books, typewriters, bicycles, any sports equipment, you name it... can make an interesting
prop. Antique signs or photographs look interesting with retro looks. These are called
“found object props” and outside of tag sales, you may find all sorts of things in
basements, attics, on the street, or in flea markets.
Your local hardware store is a goldmine of props. Think about all the potential
uses for clothesline, buckets, ladders, nails and wood, utility lights, tiles, terra cotta pots,
brooms, snow shovels, etc. A Connecticut furrier recently put in windows that
complimented his ads. The signs said “A Blizzard of a Sale!” and each mannequin held a
child’s red snow shovel at a different angle. The shovels had some fake snow (available
in Christmas stores) hanging off them onto the floor.
Consider borrowing props from your neighbors. Antique stores are often very
amenable to loaning interesting pieces when they are given a nicely written credit in your
window. The credit need not be huge - a 3”x5” card on a little stand will do the trick as
long as it isn’t hidden!
Many other stores will loan merchandise for window credits. Consider unusual
sporting goods such as rafts, tents, archery, croquet, golf, racquetball or polo. A boating
store may loan you a sunfish or rowboat if your window is really large. Hint... don’t just
measure your window but also measure the path to the window for any oversized props.
An unusual prop idea for casual sports clothing is the use of bright red and yellow
lawn mowers. Try a fencing company for colorful fences or a local florist for beautiful
dried flower arrangements or wreaths. A credit can go a long way... they are getting extra
window attention and appreciation from a whole new customer base.
Using your merchandise as a prop can also work only if your hangers, buildups,
forms and mannequins are interesting. Avoid at all costs the dreaded “draped and dead in
the window” look. If you have interesting shopping bags, they can be stuffed and used in
rows for a repetitive look or arranged into a pyramid. Messages can come out of the bags
to advertise a sale or specials.
When needed you can always buy props from display houses. There are some
fantastic things being made every day by display manufacturers all over the world. Local
companies are often listed under “Display” in the phone book but you can also consider
going the display show in NYC in the spring at the Jacob Javits Center or the other
display show (more fixture than display oriented - but very good) in Chicago.
ENHANCING YOUR DISPLAYS - To learn more about this author, visit Linda Cahan's Website.
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