25 Storefront Display Ideas To Inspire You

When it comes to storefront display ideas, being bold is the name of the game. Your brick and mortar display needs to capture the attention of potential customers, and motivate strangers to share your masterpiece across social media.

Below, you’ll find 25 creative storefront designs to spark your imagination. And before you say, “Yeah but these stores had a bigger budget…,” remember that creativity wins over big budgets every time. These ideas are just a starting point!

1. Use Your Words

Whether you’re listing out your products for sale or getting customers’ attention with an on-brand quote, writing directly on your window is an eye-catching, space-saving strategy.

2. Flower Power

Stunning floral displays aren’t only for florists. Any type of retail shop can benefit from the feel-good vibes that beautiful flowers provide.

3. Make It Interactive

Selfie walls are now basically a requirement at events, parties, and crowded urban centers. So why not turn your storefront into a selfie station? Make sure to include your shop’s name in the “frame” and it’s essentially free advertising.

4. Go Avant-Garde

Unleash your inner artist. The goal of your display, after all, is to stop people in their tracks.

5. Crowd-Source Your Display

Why not take customer experience to a new level and use polaroids of your regulars in your display? Or have customers write answers on post-it notes to answer a question posed in your store window.

6. Mix Dimensions

This artful tactic almost always looks good. Combine two-dimensional black and white drawings with your (three-dimensional) merchandise for sale. The juxtaposition is playful, eye-catching, and puts the focus on your merchandise.

7. Aspire To Be Aspirational

Evoke a relaxing bike ride or a day at the beach, and tap into the aspirations of your target customers.

8. Embrace Whimsy

Some of the best storefronts capture the imagination of customers to draw them inside.

9. Sell the Sale

There are so many low-cost ways to announce a big sale.

10. Make It Pop With Balloons

Sometimes, one or two balloons just won’t cut it. When you need to make an impact, a full window of balloons does the trick.

SEE ALSO: How To Choose a Small Business Retail POS System

11. Paint on Your Windows

Window art is a beautiful way to make an impact without sacrificing space. Bonus: it can be combined with so many other design ideas. White paint is always a safe bet.

12. Use Humor

Witty puns and friendly jokes aren’t just for sidewalk signs. Window displays open up the possibility of visual gags, too!

13. Follow a Pattern

Stripes are a great way to draw your customers’ eyes toward your merchandise.

Repetition is also eye-catching, and can create unique patterns across your entire display.

14. Be Minimalist

Sometimes, less is more.

15. Be Maximalist

And sometimes, more is more.

SEE ALSO: What Makes a Good Retail POS System?

16. Get Lit

As you know, the art of lighting is extremely important in retail. The right lights make merchandise and your customers look their best. For your storefront, you can get even more creative with lighting.

17. Play With Color

A bold use of color is perhaps the easiest way to make your display stand out.

And paint buckets take color to the next level. We love a variation of this idea for a local hardware store.

These windows were both designed using post-it notes. Talk about accessible!

18. Get Crafty

Some of the most beautiful retail displays have that unique, handmade touch.

19. Create Expected Shapes with Unexpected Objects

Christmas trees and hoop skirts are popular options. Potential customers are sure to do a double-take.

20. Make Like a Tree

Real branches and tree stumps give your merchandising display a natural, timeless look. You can use them as design elements or as shelves. Their beauty, durability, and versatility make them a popular material year round.

SEE ALSO:How To Pick The Right Retail Management Software

21. Showcase Multiple Products

It’s tempting to stuff your display window with as many products as possible, but the key to merchandising your product displays is to use your merchandise to create striking shapes.

22. Expand Your Canvas

As far as design elements go, few solutions are more effective than a heaping dose of bold color. If your small business also has a small retail space, make the most of your footprint by painting your entire shop a unique hue.

23. Display Mannequins Creatively

As an independent retailer, one of the challenges with using store mannequins is that many of them lack heads. What they lack in faces, however, can be made up with a little creativity.

24. Embrace Tradition

Your store display doesn’t have to be cutting edge. Soothing colors and traditional signage create warm, inviting vibes that make customers feel comfortable and nostalgic.

25. Break The Rules

On paper, all-white, monochromic windows, naked mannequins, or rainbow legs don’t sound like the best ideas. But storefront window displays are all about execution. If you have a creative concept, go for it!

Keep It Fresh

The best part about merchandising your store display is that it must be novel to be effective. This means that you can test new retail displays as often as you’d like. Consider changing your layout at the start of every new season, or to support local events in your community.

Amy Allen

The digital copywriter at ShopKeep, Amy understands that small businesses are the cornerstone of our economy and that independent entrepreneurs need smart solutions to compete in the marketplace. She has created award-winning work for major brands.