The leaves are falling, there’s a cold snap in the air, and if you listen very carefully you may just hear the faint sound of jingle bells floating in the breeze. Is it Old Saint Nick? No, it’s the sound of graphic designers and merchandisers alike adding their final touches to this year’s explosion of Christmas-themed window displays, destined to overtake our streets in the oncoming months. But when every retail store seems to be competing on who has the best window display this festive season, how can you ensure that yours stands out?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a few fairy lights and a meagre bit of tinsel will be enough this Christmas to entice paying customers into your store. But in actual fact, there’s a distinct method to the madness behind the bright flashing lights and arguably over-saturated glitz and glamour commonly seen on Oxford Street, and it’s all based on customer attraction and retention. Experts say that when customers look at a window display you have about 3 seconds to catch their attention before they move on. Because of this, it’s essential to stand out from the crowd to draw customers into making that all-important purchase.
Think of the main players in the Christmas window display game, such as Selfridges and Harrods. People flock from all over the world to see the unveiling of their window displays every year, countless journalists among them who spread glowing reviews across social media platforms, right in front of your customer’s eyes. So get your festive juices flowing and make sure your window stands out from the crowd.
A good way to grab attention from the Christmas crowd is to layer your window displays with multiple materials to catch your customer’s eyes and hold their attention. Window vinyl is a great way to make an impact with your window displays this year, with its ability to add depth and life to your windows. Try layering vinyl with a contrasting material in the backdrop such as Xanita board for a sustainable yet impactful display that is sure to last the entire season.
Using window vinyl is also a great way of hiding any ongoing work from the customer’s eye. Meaning you can build your bigger Christmas window display behind the scenes without any spoilers leaking to the public before you’re ready.
But, if you’re looking for a more space-conscious window display, look no further than Debenhams’ store in Leeds. Their full-coverage window vinyl adds life and interest to what would have been an otherwise inconspicuous space. Made with PVC-free vinyl on an HP Latex printer using water-based ink, it is a non-toxic, space-saving, and eco-alternative to a larger window display.
Did you know that the UK sends 30% more rubbish to landfill during the Christmas period? Don’t let your window display be part of that figure! It’s possible to create showstopping sustainable window displays using fully eco-friendly materials, you’ve just got to know your stuff. Thankfully our cardboard engineering experts are on hand to help you create the green window display of your Christmas dreams.
We use Xanita board to create bespoke 3D structures that slot together perfectly within your window display. In fact, your entire display can be crafted from cardboard and expertly installed by our in-house team. Take our work with Boden for example, where we created a 100% paper-based window display for their London Flagship store in 2021. The cardboard boxes are perfectly wrapped in Latex printed paper and the bows are made from 300 GSM card, ensuring that it not only looks spectacular but it also matches our green standards.
If you’re struggling to realise your Christmas window display dreams for the upcoming festive season, don’t worry, our expert elves are here to help! At Imageco, we can take any design concept and make it a reality, with a dedicated graphic design team for those who are at a complete loss for what to display this year. Or, if you know exactly what you’re looking for and just need a print partner who can make your vision a reality, our print specialists will work alongside you to bring your windows to life.
However you decide to decorate your window displays this Christmas, contact our expert elves and we can get working on your Christmas miracle!
