The fall season includes the back-to-school period as well as a unique assortment of holidays that can inspire in-store sales and unique visual merchandising displays. There are a wide variety of approaches to take based on the specific area that a retailer is involved in. Whether it's fun, autumn-themed displays that highlight fall palettes at a clothing store or a sales event geared around Thanksgiving break – and bringing a memento back home for mom and dad – at a college bookstore. Creativity Window pointed out that more specific themes can be quite effective for many different types of stores. Here are a few different ideas that businesses can use to hatch an attractive and memorable visual merchandising plan for the fall season:
- A Halloween theme: Depending on the customers involved, this approach can work even if a store isn't selling costumes, candy or the spooky accouterments associated with October 31. Certain groups of patrons, kids especially, will respond well to Halloween-themed window displays or ones in the center of the store. Adding a sale element can help attract adults as well. Using this approach can offer some extra creative choices that can build on the sturdy store display fixtures retailers are already using. A few simple props, be it a plastic jack-o'-lantern or some creepy creatures, provide the visual pop that draws in customers.
- Football and other fall sports: After summers where there are few options for spectating or playing organized sports, the fall offers a variety of options for both watching and participating in many different athletic contests. Creating a display that ties into the local high school's most popular and successful sport – be it football or field hockey – is one way to connect with the local customer base and to create an engaging and unique display.
- The comforts of autumn: In many parts of the U.S., fall signifies a move to cooler temperatures and creature comforts like cider, pumpkin spice lattes and fleece blankets. This cozy feeling can be replicated in autumn displays using the colors of foliage and even scents like apples and cinnamon. An easy way to add accent colors to neutrally themed display fixtures is with a simple cloth or sheet to cover tables and shelving. Having a coordinated set of colors is one of the most basic tenets of good visual merchandising, according to the Houston Chronicle.
