Windows of opportunity: Tips from a leading visual merchandiser
Talking Tables has teamed up with Debbie Flowerday to provide the opportunity for a store to receive on the job VM training for a member of staff. Debbie will work with your staff to build a Halloween or Christmas window, equipping them to deliver impactful future displays.
We caught up with our favourite visual merchandiser Debbie Flowerday at Autumn Fair to learn about using repetition in window displays.
“Repetition works in threes or fives and with merchandise, for example, like a beautiful big ceramic vase that you have bought in three colours. You could repeat it in those different colours.
Cosmetic companies have traditionally liked to use repetition and Conran also used to do it for furniture, for example for three chairs with three cushions on them.
I’m using blocks which I find to be really flexible. They can be recovered or repainted for every new window display. You could use a small, medium and large sizes or all three the same. The idea is that there are not there to be seen, they are there to enhance the product and be ‘invisible’. I’ve run some simple ribbon down one side of the front f them to embellish.
Make sure that everything you are using is beautifully pressed because the reflection in the window will show every crease. And be sure to pin price labels behind the product so that can’t be seen. Prices should appear at the bottom left hand corner of the window.
It’s fine to have an open backed window if your store is stylish, neat and tidy. If the view through the window isn’t so stylish it’s good to have backing panels in the window. While generally it’s best to have a neutral say cream background in you window, you can use colour that complements the display and panels can be easily painted or covered.
When you are buying merchandise think about how it would look in a window. You might have someone in your team who is good at painting and copy a part of the pattern or picture on the product onto the panelling. This is endorsing you product. Or you could aint the panels to go with your merchandise. Colour will also give more depth to the window. For example, here it would have been good to have a mustard colour, reflecting the colour on the cushions.
It’s all about what inspires you. |f you have a lovely floral collection, why not combine it with a stripe. This is inspiring for the customer and will get them to try it too. And everything has to be over-the-top when it comes to window displays. Everything has to be exaggerated. Small things get lost in a window."
Debbie’s tips
1 Suspension grid
Have a grid system high up across the top of the window so that you can suspend things from it. Debbie recommends using nylon ‘thread’. It is invisible to the eye and also comes in different thicknesses so can take the load of a relatively heavy item.
2 Lighting
Lighting is super important. Have it directed on a cross rather than simply overhead as this will create an even light.
3 Reflecting the design in-store
Debbie says it’s important that when a customer walks into a store that the display is mirrored to remind them what was in the window and make that merchandise easy to access. For example, the dot pattern below could be repeated in-store.
Debbie was speaking at Autumn Fair. To listen to all her presentations at the show go to @springautumnfair.
You can follow Debbie at @debbieflowerday.
If you are interested in our special collaboration to have Debbie visit your store and train one of your team for free contact marketing@talkingtables.co.uk.
