The store window is an essential part of retail marketing - it is the contact interface between store and customer and the first thing that walk-in customers perceive about a store or store. The importance of storefronts has long been underestimated, even though storefronts (and window advertising) have been around for nearly 250 years. Today, based on advertising psychology studies, we know that storefronts work on two levels: cognitive and emotional. Purely conveying information (written messages such as "SUMMER-SALE" or "50% off everything") appeals to the clientele on a cognitive level, while the staging, i.e. the color design, decoration and lighting, reaches viewers emotionally
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You want to make the most of the window display communication tool for your store? Rely on modern storefront design and the use of high-quality print products! Mail Boxes Etc. supports you in the matter of shop window design with printed products of all kinds: You can get window foils, window stickers, window tattoos, signs, posters and printed partition walls from us. Whether you are more interested in text or photos and graphics, it does not matter. Tell us what you have in mind - we realize it! |
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The first thing you need to decide is what kind of storefront design you want to implement: Do you want to allow outsiders to look into your store - or do you want to set up a shop window scene with background (= with an opaque movable wall)? Both have advantages and disadvantages. See-through concepts look more inviting and reduce the "threshold fear" of passers-by entering your store - that's the advantage. The disadvantage is that with a clear view into the store, passersby's gaze is not held by the advertising messages in the store window, so they may miss them. With movable wall concepts, it's the other way around.
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Generally, see-through concepts are more suitable for large stores with a visually attractive range of shelves that "pulls" customers into the store even without appealing window decorations. For small stores with a manageable range of goods or no range of goods (such as travel agencies, tanning salons and massage parlors), movable wall concepts are more suitable. The movable walls can be self-printed or serve as a support for posters or placards. Mail Boxes Etc. offers a variety of large format printing solutions for partition design - from printed displays to promotional banners to roll-ups. |
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1. Advertising on the shop window glass - this includes window foiling and window stickers. It is necessary to distinguish between exterior and interior stickers: Exterior stickers are pasted on the window pane from the outside; they are luminous and easily visible in any position of the sun. On the other hand, they are susceptible to weathering. Interior stickers are stuck behind the store window (lettering for interior stickers must therefore be printed mirror-inverted). They are insensitive to weather and cannot be damaged by vandalism, but their signal effect may be impaired by the glass reflection.
2. Advertising in the zone immediately behind the shop window - this includes posters hung or placed behind the shop window (e.g. in a "sandwich" stand).
3. advertising on movable walls behind the shop window - this includes movable wall prints and advertising posters/stickers that are pasted directly on the movable walls.
Advertising storefront design is an art in itself. Not by chance there was until 1975 the profession "storefront design". (Today, the profession is called "display designer"; in addition to window dressing, the job description includes other marketing-oriented design work in areas that can be viewed by the public.)
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Of course, every storefront owner can also take the storefront design into their own hands - and with the support of a professional printing partner such as Mail Boxes Etc. you can then also achieve just as good advertising effects as with the design by service providers. A few basic things there are to note indes: |
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Storefront design looks more appealing when it has a theme. The theme can be seasonal (e.g., "summer," "vacation," "Christmas") or business-related ("new store opening," "discount weeks"). Think about how you can entirely stage your chosen theme and add matching decorative paraphernalia - such as a parasol or oversized (gambling) banknotes - to your print advertising media.
No matter how creative a window dressing concept is: At some point, it gets "worn out." Of course, that doesn't apply to corporate design elements like the business name or the pasted-on business logo. But banners that say "Summer Sale" should have disappeared from the store window by the end of the summer or been replaced by other banners. Because: recognizably outdated window advertising is untrustworthy; it even discourages potential customers from entering the store. So, depending on the type of advertising medium, either consciously opt for durable window filming (in the case of name lettering or slogans) or poster printing (in the case of non-permanent advertising messages).
An important aspect of storefront design is light: the brighter it is behind the glass, the better the storefront advertising will be perceived from the outside. So make sure that the lighting is good enough. With the help of modern LED spotlights you can achieve great effects, and the power consumption of LED lights is so low that even night lighting does not cost much.
What should you avoid at all costs when window shopping? Apart from the fact that you should not tolerate dirty windows, of course (the best window advertising is of no use if you can't see it well): Refrain from publishing misleading messages. If your store window is emblazoned with a huge "50 percent off" sticker, then you should also provide corresponding price reductions - not just discounts of 20 or 30 percent. You should also not make any advertising claims that are not demonstrably true (e.g. "cheapest hairdresser in town"), because such a thing is liable to a warning.
The display of products in the shop window that are not for sale - such as works of art or samples or pre-reserved individual items - is, however, legally permitted: According to German case law, the window display is not yet a direct offer. Accordingly, customers have no right to be handed an item displayed in the window.
With the help of Mail Boxes Etc. you can turn any storefront into a well-functioning communication platform. Don't give away the potential eye-catching effect of your store window with hand-lettered posters (which always look unprofessional), but rely on high-quality printed posters, stickers and foiling. We will be happy to provide you with comprehensive advice on the existing options and the practicality of the individual advertising media.
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Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) is the world's largest graphic arts, printing, packaging and mailing services network, with more than 2,800 locations in over 53 countries. We are locally your personal contact for printing and marketing solutions of all kinds. |
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