4 pieces of advice for effective holiday displays

The holiday season is a great time for retailers to flex their creative muscles and craft unique visual merchandising displays. There's also a need to have engaging arrangements of products so stores can draw in customers and make themselves stand out from the competition.

Here are four tips to make displays effective in terms of both design and in driving sales:

1. Identify and explain the items on display: Merchandising blog 12 Months of Marketing pointed out that more involved and high-concept displays need to spell out a few important facts to truly be effective. The items on display that are for sale should be explicitly identified and, especially in larger stores, there should be some sort of directions for customers to find the product. Some descriptive text about the product can also help shoppers realize that a given item is a great gift for a specific family member or friend. In this situation, having inexpensive blank signage on hand is invaluable.
2. Use a theme that works for you: Traditional holiday themes are powerful and can definitely work for many different retailers. Store owners shouldn't feel constrained by these established concepts, however. Depending on the products you sell and the overall attitude of your store, a less-traditional approach can work well, as long as it's engaging and makes customers want to take a closer look. Mixing in a few subtle elements, including winter props and decor, into a display that doesn't explicitly evoke the holidays, is an approach that can pay off for retailers who want a less in-your-face display.
3. Include many different products: LightSpeed Retail pointed out that the holidays are a great time to sell smaller, less-expensive items as stocking stuffers. Businesses that have a wide price range among their stock should take some time and find creative ways to include these products in displays and showcases. The more items that are on display, the more likely that customers will find something that fits their needs.
4. Be sure to highlight any sales: The increased emphasis on visual merchandising during the holiday season means more visual stimulation throughout a store. Retailers need to make sure that any sales or promotions are emphasized more than usual to make them stand out among the many new sights. This is another area where signage is especially valuable.