Christmas season is officially on, and French “non-essential” boutiques were cleared to reopen: this is the jolly kick start for the holiday season, and retailers have been longing for this moment to embellish their windows with Christmas magic. A crucial part of the joy of Christmas shopping, adorned storefronts for jewelry dress up as an introduction to celebrations.

A peculiar era, yet fancy and fairy

Whether in urban or rural areas, Christmas time brings its magic everywhere. Illuminations, sparkling decors from backyards to large avenues, the Holiday Season is in the air! City centers unveil incredible wonders and shop windows look alike to joyfully celebrate the end of a peculiar year. As a promise, this very Christmas should top previous years and make sure happiness and a festive spirit are shared and spread.

While shopkeepers have undergone stressful weeks and put their efforts in maintaining an activity - at all cost with shops closed (click and collect solutions were discussed here) -, the focus should now be on staging storefronts with Christmas decors. Unmissable windows and shops with eye-catching visual identities act as a statement to the public “we all need a bit of magic and also get carried away by the Christmas atmosphere” declared Séverine Horvilleur, a French specialist in Merchandising and windows staging for the Jewelry industry. Her recommendation for 2020 windows dressing is “to bring as much merry and joy as possible into retailers’ shops and windows to counter the dull atmosphere”, certainly a wise way to encourage customers to step in these beautifully decorated boutiques. And ultimately, treat oneself and pamper others with shining pieces.

Current sanitary barriers limit the number of customers simultaneously present in a closed zone such as a shop. This singularity highlights even more the purpose of shop windows: should lines form ahead of the door, why not stage the immediate surroundings of the boutique? Illuminated façade, statement carpets on the pavement, decorative arches and ribbons mock the circumstances with warmth and joy. Just like “mises en bouche”, these tiny attentions better serve the user experience while sharpening customers’ appetite for the jaw-dropping pieces they will purchase once inside.

Indeed, retailers should take the lead of the parade and encourage their customers to smile: investments made in Christmas decors - not only are a must, they seldom come in vain especially in these times when comfort is sought everywhere.

Elegant and flawless shop windows

Organizing smart and attractive windows does not always come easy, however it mostly takes to comply with a few fundamentals and bring a twist of creativity. Séverine Horvilleur can dress windows “in an eyeblink, but it sometimes takes up to a year to complete a project”; and she can work on a budget or with substantial means. Above all, she recommends to think of a clear reading that will bring a seamless presentation of the pieces – but also to bring a zest of magic and fairy. There is no “failed window project” she says – rather bold aesthetics choices, whatever the inspiration: arts, cinema, Séverine Horvilleur has eyes everywhere to feed her imagination.

The purpose of windows and storefronts is to spark desire through visual elements. The rest is pushing the shop door…

Windows overloaded with rings, bracelets or watches do not serve the purpose of selling: conversely, they should expose relevant, hand-picked pieces that are consistent with the boutique’s identity. Highlighting selected gems helps customers in their choices. It is commonly admitted that jewels should be gathered by theme or collections, but the assortment can also mix renowned names with young guns, or flagship products with cutting-edge designs, a smart way to boost some pieces’ attractiveness. When it comes to dressing or displays, choose consistency and harmony over quantity. Play with colours and props – an easy game when dressing windows for Christmas!

Finally, while training the staff to windows and storefront dressing is very useful throughout the year, it is all the more important to switch collections season-wise to showcase different pieces all year long and build a dynamic image as a retailer.

Christmas magic in your windows may not last more than a few weeks – but it is capital, this year even more!

Le Sens du Detail offers to train your teams to take merchandising stakes to a new level, and also bring some magic and reverie to your shop.

Photo crédit :  

Unsplash library : https://unsplash.com/

Séverine Horvilleur, decorator - window dresser

☎️ +33 6 84 13 99 75

📧 sev.horvilleur@wanadoo.fr