Retail Trend: An Eye-Catching Window Display Paper Mart Blog

Wondering how to create an engaging retail store display? We can help. Here are a few tips on creating window displays that inspire, captivate, and most importantly – drive sales.

A Little About Window Displays

Window display advertising is a fun and creative way to communicate your brand story and attract new visitors to your brick and mortar store. For new visitors, it is often the first point of contact they have with your business. For current customers, an inspiring retail display can help strengthen their relationship with your business and keep them coming back.

The Time & Planning Is Worth It

To design a retail display that attracts and inspires, it’s imperative that you have an organized mind along with a big idea. Visual merchandiser extraordinaire, Kristie Pettibone designs jaw-dropping installations for her retail clients and advises, “Stay organized with everything from day one [and] keep up with the ever-changing design trends. For me, my installs are mostly quarterly so, during my downtime, I am prepping and researching for my next installs.”

Quality Materials Yield Quality Results

For a window display that is designed to impress, make sure the shop window display props you’re using are high quality and able to withstand natural elements like sun exposure, wind, and more.

Popular Window Display Supplies

Deco Mesh | Deco mesh is a favorite among visual merchandisers and installation artists because its lightweight body is flexible, easy to work with, and keeps its structure.
Crepe Paper | If you’re looking to create with paper, think about the overall look and longevity of your design first. Thick, heavy paper with a tight crepe is perfect for projects that call for vibrant colors and need to last for long periods of time. Looking to make a big impact for a short amount of time (ie. if your install is for a week or shorter)? You may be able to work with paper that is equally vibrant, but thinner and lightweight.
Washi Tape | Often considered an everyday item, the wide variety of colors and finishes washi tape offers lends itself perfectly to creative window installations. For design inspiration, take a peek at a few of Kristie’s washi tape installations here!

FYI! If you’re interested in dressing up your storefront with a mannequin, visit Mannequin Madness and use the promo code PaperMart15 for 15% off mannequins!

The Right Display Can Drive Foot Traffic

Need help deciphering the right window display for you and your business? Simply look at the numbers. Here’s a general guideline regarding how you can determine the types of retail displays that work for you and your business.

1.) Measure the amount of incoming customers (foot traffic) to see which displays are drawing in more visitors and compare it to the profit your business is getting during that time.

2.) Once this data is gathered, drill down on the display elements drawing visitors in and converting them to customers, and continue to create with these aspects in mind.

Window Display Idea For Valentine’s Day

An easy way to keep your window display fresh is to use materials you can dress up or down with the changing seasons. Here we use a versatile dress form from Mannequin Madness to make our Valentine’s Day window display pop. Here’s how we did it!

Here’s How We Made Our Deco Mesh Flower Dress

You’ll Need

Hot Pink Laser Eyelash 21″ Deco Mesh
Hot Pink, Gold Thread Metallic 10″ Deco Mesh
Moss Standard 10″ Deco Mesh
Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
Cardboard cut into a 7-1/2” X 7-1/2” square
Scissors
Pencil
Ruler

How To Make A Beautiful Deco Mesh Flower

1.) First, prep the base of your flower. Using your ruler and pencil, draw straight lines (from corner to corner and side to side) along one side of your cardboard square. When finished, use the point of your pencil to create small holes along those lines. Make sure your holes are evenly spaced. Set aside when finished.

2.) Next, begin to create your rose petals and leaves by using strips of deco mesh and your scissors. Simply roll your deco mesh flat and cut a 10” x 10” strip.

Note: In total, we cut 13, 10” x 10” petals from each of our hot pink deco mesh rolls and 2, 10” x 10” leaves from our moss colored deco mesh.

3.) After your strips of deco mesh have been cut out, put one on top of the other and fold the pair into a triangle. Repeat with each of your hot pink deco mesh strips.

4.) Once your rose petals have been shaped into triangles, start creating your flower. Beginning with the center of your flower, take the middle point of your petal and thread it through the center of your cardboard base. Repeat with each of the surrounding holes.

5.) To create a blooming effect, start with the center flower petal. Carefully wrap each corner of the flower petal inward. Repeat this wrapping motion with each of the surrounding petals. When you have reached the outer edges of your flower, secure the petal ends to the cardboard base with hot glue.

6.) Finally, finish by rolling each moss colored deco mesh strip into simple tube shapes and hot gluing them to the outer corners of your flower.

Find Retail Store Display Supplies At Paper Mart

Large scale, impactful window displays can be made from the most unexpected materials. If you’re looking for window display solutions, check out our wide variety of craft supplies here!