Mannequin Window Displays: Why They Are Important

Fashion merchandising can have a big impact on your sales, but nothing is as important as your window display. Use the psychological factors for creating a first impression to lure the right customers to your store using your window display as your biggest advertisement.

When a customer approaches a retail store, the first thing they notice is the window display. Your window displays should give the customer a lot of information. Of course, they should showcase your best fashions and intrigue people to come inside. They should also have a lot of subtle cues to buy as well. You can benefit greatly by being purposeful in your window display design.

Our brains are geared to make snap decisions and create first impressions. This gives us the ability to quickly judge levels of danger, distinguish likes and dislikes, as well as be subjective about something's significance or insignificance to us. Using this information in a retail setting is very beneficial. Your window display is a prime example of where this psychological structure can be put to good use.

Remember that you are not only trying to attract people, but that you are really trying to attract people that will buy something from you. Sometimes this means deterring the people that you do not want wasting your time, rummaging through your merchandise, or making negative comments about your store in front of customers that might have been considering a purchase.

Your window display is really like a giant advertisement. So, it makes sense to use the rules of advertising, only applied to a three dimensional display. According to marketing research, the first and most effective part of an advertisement is impression. They should be able to figure out, at a glance, if you sell the type of clothing that they are looking for at the price that they are able to afford.

The second part of your plan should include usage. When a person looks at your display, they should be able to see how they would use the product. This is where mannequins really take the merchandising cake, so to speak. Mannequins allow you to create a scene, showing how the clothing can be used. For example, while playing tennis, getting married, or while at the beach. Mannequins have proven to be the most effective merchandising tool in the business for decades. This brings us to part three.

The third part of your design plan should exhibit self-fulfillment. Your customer will first look and see that your store is targeted at them, then notice that the items can be used for what they would be using them for, and then they should feel like buying these items would fulfill their needs in some way. Practical, emotional or social needs should come to mind when they look at the window display.

This window display plan, combined with the use of mannequins, will help customers visualize what it would be like to wear the clothing that you are selling. If all of their areas of interest and fulfillment are met before they even enter the store, then your job of selling the merchandise should be a lot easier.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the Vice President of S & L Store Fixtures, a leading online resource for retail display cases including mannequins, mannequin forms, gridwall and slatwall store fixtures. For more information, please visit http://www.slstoredisplays.com.