Optimising Your Window Space To Create Sales – 5 Tips To Make Your Window Space Work For You!

How would you dress on a first date? Since the first impression is created without 7 seconds, most of us would spend great effort to look good.

Similarly, your window display is the “first date” between your shop and your customers. Thus, “dolling up” your window space creates a pleasant impression and attracts potential customers to your shop.

With the retail landscape being so saturated, a sure-fire way to make your shop stand out is to enhance your window display with eye-catching design and proper visual merchandising.

Your window display is akin to a work of art, which means it should be tastefully conceptualised and created. At the same time, it has to represent your products and brand effectively too. So what should you take note of when designing your window display?

1. Settle on a theme

What theme would appeal to your target audience? Brainstorm for theme ideas. Seek inspiration from the world around you and sketch some ideas. Having a theme for your retail display area ensures that your aesthetic design and key message are aligned well to achieve your desired objective.

2. Ideal Focal Point

When your customers walk past your window display store, what will make them “stop and stare”? The focal point is the spot where people’s eyes immediately land on when they look at the display. Of course, the height of the focal point has to be at comfortable eye level for the customers. As for the other items around the focal point, carefully curate the way you arrange them too. A tried and tested method commonly used by department stores is the “Pyramid Principle”. By placing the largest item at the centre and the smallest items on the outside, the “pyramid” cascades for an interesting visual effect.

3. Lighting

Set the right mood for your shop with the appropriate use of lighting. What type of setting do you want to create? Soft lighting creates a cosy and welcoming ambience while bright lighting exudes a contemporary feel. Although your retail space already comes with lighting, incorporating an additional lighting animation effect can add a delightful touch and capture more attention.

4. Simplicity

In the world of design, less is more. As Apple iPhones and iPads have demonstrated to the world, people tend to gravitate towards things that exhibit simplicity. So, take a leaf out of Apple’s book and keep your window display simple. Keep the number of items in the display to a minimum. The simpler it is, the better it is. Let the most important product be the main focal point. Place no more than 8 products around it as it will cause the space to look cluttered. If you need to display more products, build pedestals of different heights to showcase each group of products. Create categories. This is because simplicity brings about clarity and focus. That way, your display can communicate your key message to your customers in a crystal clear manner.

5. Production material

With so many production materials available in the market, your choice of material depends on your budget. Explore different materials such as metal, wood, acrylic etc. Different types of upholstery create different effects. If your budget permits it, invest in high-quality material. It will affect the aesthetics of your display. Try the following methods if budget is an issue. One pocket-friendly way is to incorporate a large backdrop which utilises most of the space. Alternatively, paste some window stickers at the front. However, ensure that you do not cover the display as the stickers are meant to complement rather than take focus away. For big-scale events like anniversaries or promotions, consider having window stickers to draw the public’s attention.

6. Change your window displays regularly

If you have successfully designed a brilliant window display, congratulations! But that does not mean that you can stop creating striking displays. Even the best of window displays will start to look boring after awhile, especially for repeat customers. So you have to change your displays every now and then to keep it exciting and novel for your customers.

Lastly, put yourself in the shoes of a customer and walk into and around your shop. Based on how you feel during your shopping experience, make necessary adjustments if you want to keep your window display as lively as ever.

Company background:

Jehm Studio – A design company based in Singapore, specializing in visual merchandising and window display works. One of the leading firms in window display related works, offering the best of know-how and solutions in enhancing your retail space.