What's behind a Christmas window display?
Ever wondered how your favourite store puts together it's all-important Christmas windows? Talking Tables took visual merchandising expert Debbie Flowerday to one of ours to see for ourselves...
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Situated just a couple of hundred yards from Whitstable beach, George’s enjoys a mix of local and tourist custom and was doing brisk trade on the Monday we visited. Cards are a mainstay for the business but the store also stocks a huge array of tempting gifts, including a mix of Talking Tables games and paper tableware and decorations. With six windows, owner Lucy Eason was pleased that our agents Ellie and Paul at Marlow Five O had put the store forward for our display competition to win a window styled by visual merchandising expert Debbie Flowerday. We love the business and felt it would be a great fit for our special Christmas window display creation with Debbie.
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With time spent creating windows for the likes of Heal's, Miss Selfridge and the V&A, Debbie now teaches VM students at a number of leading colleges and universities. We came across her when she was speaking at the Autumn Fair.
Opened 50 years ago, George’s has been in the family for three generations. It was established by Lucy’s grandfather and she stated working there as a young teenager. Her and her husband became owners around 16 years ago.
First off, we chatted to Lucy about her windows. As a busy owner, Lucy’s main challenge is time but she also said that she sometimes feels she tries to pack too much in. Debbie reassured her that a lot can be fitted into a window: “it’s all about shape and using the height” which became clear as the windows started coming together.
George’s windows
The cards windows are changed frequently – sometimes weekly – as passers by will window gaze.
Other windows can be more seasonal and if doing well can remain for a relatively long time
Lucy would never use props that aren’t available to buy as people invariably ask to do so.
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Debbie created two windows: one using Talking Tables products and built around our hanging Santa and elves, the other using other brands and built around a Christmas tree prop. (Lucy planned to use it as a raffle prize and people were already inquiring about it while we were in-store.)
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We loved the way Debbie incorporated ribbon and bows into the displays as it so simply but beautifully conveyed gifting. We'll be using it to hang our honeycombs at home.
