In an ideal retail scenario, you would be excited about products at market, mentally plan a store window around them, order extra and locate display props all in the same day/trip. But, I know that’s a dream world. Realistically, it’s a lot to think about and a big effort for merchandise that may or may not even show up on time or at all. So, here are some ideas to help you plan for store window displays and how to avoid issues in keeping track of what’s in your window(s).
Know EXACTLY what’s in your window!
Have your merchandiser list every item that goes into a window display. This should include the size of any apparel and the retail price of every single item.
Have the merchandiser take a picture of the final window display for reference. The picture should be printed and place in a binder with the list of displayed merchandise.
Add ancillary notes. ie: The boxes for the porcelain bunnies in the north window are stored on the top left shelf in the back room.
Assign someone to check the stock of “window items” regularly. They should remove any item from the window that has little or no in-store stock and also update the before-mentioned list.
These procedures assist the sales staff when customers come in asking about or purchasing an item they saw in the window. Staff should not have to climb in and out of windows checking sizing of clothes on mannequins.
What NOT to put in your windows:
Unless you purchased a statement item specifically for your window, do not put one-ofs in your window displays.
Do not create a display around products for which you do not have adequate stock in-store. Do you anticipate an item being a top seller? Order extra if you plan to use them in a window display.