"It has been Christmas in the retail world for weeks but most of us are only now getting the decorations out at home. How can you reuse and recycle what you already have to create the perfect festive feel? Shop window-dressers or visual merchandisers, as they are also known share their tips for capturing the magic of the most wonderful time of the year."
"It's all in the prep Planning spans a full year, so Christmas is never far from our minds, says Lisa Clemenger, visual concepts manager at Liberty in London. At Jarrolds, an independent department store in Norwich, planning for Christmas 2026 will start at the end of January, says Julie Blanch, who is head of visual merchandising. It is weird when, in July, you are absolutely boiling and we are dressing Christmas trees and cutting ribbons."
"However much time you have to plan, it is helpful to come up with a theme for your decorative scheme. This year, we are celebrating the unsung heroes of Christmas the elves who make the magic happen, says Clemenger. We designed a Liberty elf and imagined its hectic, eclectic workshop. Jarrolds has gone for a handpicked motif, with a huge lit-up hand picking a present at the front of the shop and lots of smaller hands dotted around the windows."
Planning for festive displays often begins months in advance and can span a full year, with some stores starting immediately after the previous season. Establishing a theme and a coordinating colour scheme helps achieve visual flow and cohesion across decorations. Designers reuse and adapt decorations across seasons, blending motifs like tartan, gingham and gingerbread to maximise longevity and reduce waste. Elaborate shop windows use storytelling motifs—such as elf workshops, oversized hands or decade-specific nostalgia—to create memorable scenes. Practical prep can include off-season construction tasks like dressing trees and trimming ribbons to save time nearer the holiday.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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