Gas-station convenience stores, supermarkets and big-box retailers don’t need to show products to get people into their stores. So, they post window graphics that advertise specific brands or discounts. In malls and shopping centers, window-filling images enable passers-by to see what type of store it is even from a distance.
Fashion and luxury-goods retailers use trendy, artistic window displays for visual merchandising. Older, big-city stores with enclosed window display cases often feature a mix of merchandise, fixtures, window graphics, props and backdrops that support a specific theme. In some cases, these window displays resemble stage sets or art museum installations.
The big glass facades of newer stores make windows an integral element of overall store design. Simple, elegant lettering on the store window can entice viewers to check out the beautiful merchandise displayed with an uncluttered store that looks more like an art gallery.
As brick-and-mortar stores evolve to provide a seamless experience with e-commerce sites, some retailers are re-imagining storefront window displays. While digital print will continue to play a major role, retail experiential designers are researching cost-effective ways to use interactive and dynamic graphics in storefront windows as a compliment to print.
Let’s compare the experiences and services of two design-focused print service providers (PSPs) known for visually striking window displays.
Eileen Fritsch is a Cincinnati-based freelance journalist who has covered the evolution of wide-format digital printing for more than 20 years. Contact her at eileen@eileenfritsch.com.