Art of Shop Windows
Hawthorn’s Glenferrie shopping hub finds itself abuzz with the excitement of Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and Christmas lurking just around the corner.
In a busy world and with the presence of online shopping, enticing someone off the street and into the store is the local shop-owner’s ultimate goal. An attractive shop window is a rewarding welcome for the returning regular, and the first point of contact for a prospective customer - and you know what they say about first impressions!
Much like a painting, the window display relies on artist, medium, and subject. We meet the teams behind our dynamic Glenferrie shop-windows, to reveal the considerations and methods involved in aesthetically representing a store’s character and charm.
The team at Aussie Disposal take advantage of their expansive windows in their prime train station location by regularly swapping products in and out of the displays in response to the seasons. Manager Tom advises we can expect a large assortment of spring camping gear on display and the shopfront to be decorated with tinsel and Christmas cheer come December.
Priscilla, the Visual Merchandiser for Homing Instincts, describes her style in three words: retro, industrial, and rustic. With DIY crafts and designs inspired by photo-blog website Pinterest, we’ll see creative new Christmas windows updated every two weeks over the holiday season, featuring their selection of perfect gifts.
For their extravagant Christmas windows, Panache Flowers displays products sourced from travelling across the world. Richard Eden’s inspira- tion comes from considering what a customer would like to decorate their home with during the holidays and at Christmas. Their decorative wreaths are their most popular arrangement. Amazingly, all of the decor twinkling behind the windowpane, from glass reindeers to frosted tree branches, isn’t just for show - everything you see is for sale!
Haigh’s displays themed windows, consistent between all locations. Every four weeks, the corporate designer sends a memo package to all stores with a fresh design concept, often with intensive instructions for the team to construct the decorative window display. The team is excited about the most extravagant display of the year, designed especially to create “hype for Christmas”, and to showcase the return of specially designed chocolates which only appear around the gift-giving season.
Tracy from Callipso One can't help but update her window multiple times a week with fresh outfits, accessories, and floral arrangements - especially extravagant for the Spring Racing Carnival. Her intention is to catch the eye: it’s not uncommon for her to receive a call from someone who’s driven past, asking about one of the dresses in the window.
Wren from the old-fashioned Toy Workshop doesn’t just simply display products - he creates an “impact window”, conceptually designed to capture a magical atmosphere. In previous displays, using his carpentry skills, he constructed a ‘Lost Dog’ sign and kennel to showcase their best-selling plush puppies. His love for window displays is inspired by childhood memories of the extravagant Myer window displays at Christmas. Previous Christmases have seen Wren construct a window frame looking into Santa’s cabin, animatronic elves, and a joyful Christmas morning, so we can’t wait to see what the Toy Workshop has in store this December!
Graedon, owner of Red White and Amber Liquor Merchants, takes a more product-central approach to the seasons. Representatives from suppliers regularly visit to design and install striking, curated window displays to advertise their products - especially champagne for the racing season. In December, however, we can expect ‘wine Christmas’: last year, Graedon featured a creative Christmas tree with cork ornaments, with the perfect wines
to gift your loved ones underneath.
Kirsten, the owner of Miss Gourmet and Co., arranges complimentary products on decorated A-frame shelving to capture the eyes, hearts, and stomachs of local pedestrians. The warmer months require careful consideration for displaying food products, which means a showcase of homewares, spices, and bottled products rather than the gourmet cheeses and chocolate to be found inside.
The team at our local bookstore say to expect a simple but classic "Readings Christmas" display of popular titles, while the Visual Merchandiser for Dobsons hints at a "modern twist to the traditional Christmas window, while still keeping the fun and quirky Christmas spirit.”
The various methods, styles, and creative efforts piled into Glenferrie’s shop-front windows is undoubtedly an art form, designed to make the local community just as excited as their artists.
