SF-October-2020

@specialityfood W altzing down the high street with a takeaway hot chocolate. Festive lights and decorations strung up overhead. Jingle Bells playing out of the shop doors and frosted windows framing a festive display. Well, this may not be the exact scene this Christmas, as it’s still unknown whether coronavirus restrictions will keep people away from the high street. But Christmas is a special time of year for businesses as consumers flock to the shops in search of gifts and products to make their holiday spread more special. And there really is something magical about the Christmas atmosphere on the high street that gets shoppers in the mood. For retailers and foodservice outlets like bakeries and chocolate shops with a window display or outdoor section, a showstopping shop-front could be key to enticing new customers through your doors this season. But where do you start and how should you decide what items in a display will best showcase the scope of products you stock inside? “A window display is so important; it’s the first thing new customers will see, and you need to capture their interest and confidence to buy into your business and brand,” Pete Gardner, managing director at boutique chocolate shop Cocoa Amore, tells us. “It needs to showcase the best of what you offer, and not be 16 filled with blown light bulbs, cobwebs and dead wasps.” Know your audience When you’re setting up your window display, it may be tempting to put your most luxurious, exclusive festive products front and centre. Put it’s important to consider your audience: What are they interested in? What’s their budget? Are they looking for gifts or Christmas lunch essentials? You’ll want to include items that are specific enough to your target audience, yet not too niche that they’ll alienate potential customers. What’s more, rather than showcasing your biggest and best products outside, why not lead customers in with something more modest, and implement ways to up-sell the higher-ticket items in-store. “I find it’s always best to show off your lower-ticket items in your window so as not to scare people off from stepping through the door,” Pete says. “By all means, have more expensive products in-store, but tempt them in first with a lower spend.”Summon those festive feels Remember it’s not just about the products themselves: feel free to decorate with seasonal flourishes, but be sure they won’t overpower or detract from your products themselves. When it comes to visual merchandising, it’s also recommended to add pops of colour to set the festive mood, and to use MASTER WINDOW DISPLAYS THISCHRISTMAS It’s the most competitive time of the year, so how can you utilise your shop front to entice customers through the door? If youwere paying for a billboard the size of your shop-front in a high street location, it would cost you thousands, so take advantage of it lighting to accent a focal point – and don’t forget to add some signage. “As long as the other items in your display are relevant to what you do, I think it’s fine to include decorative items,” Pete says. “I have a range of antique chocolate moulds on display with my handmade chocolates, as well as dried cocoa beans and cocoa pods as a backdrop.” And when it comes to Christmas, relevant holiday items like Santa’s sleigh and snowflakes wouldn’t go amiss. It’s all about the visuals Typically, it’s recommended to place items at eye level, and to include pieces that aren’t so small that they get lost in your shop window. That said, it’s important to consider where your potential customers are viewing your display from– are they walking or driving? – as this will affect where ‘eye level’ is. If you don’t Awindowdisplay is so important; it’s the first thing new customers will see, and you need to capture their interest and confidence to buy into your business and brand LONDON’S FORTNUM & MASON IS RENOWNED FOR ITS FESTIVE WINDOW DISPLAYS