It’s the time of year again when the big department stores pull out all the stops to have the best Christmas window displays on the high street. Christmas shopping can be a stressful experience for even the most hardened shopper, so it’s important that retail stores keep their customers feeling festive with some magical displays and inspiring retail design. Read to find out about our favourite Christmas window displays this year.
Selfridges
Have you ever seen a giant pot of Play-Doh spilling down the side of a snow-covered mountain, dangerously close to hundreds of innocent skiers? If so, we seriously hope it is because you have seen this year’s Christmas window display at Selfridges! The presents at the top of all our Christmas lists have been enlarged and added to an Alpine resort backdrop. And it’s not just for the kids! Grown-up gadgets like Beats headphones and fancy footwear from Nike have also received the supersized treatment. The magic continues inside the store. Gingerbread replicas of London, including buildings that no longer exist have been added to an exhibition-like a ‘Lost London’ display. We think Selfridges have hit the nail on the head this year with their unique and innovative Christmas window displays!
John Lewis
John Lewis’ 2013 Christmas television commercial went viral instantly, and the animal theme that captured the hearts of the nation carries on in their stores. John Lewis’ windows are perhaps one of the most innovative examples of retail design this year. The Christmas window displays feature a multitude of animals carefully engineered from the home ware products available in store. The whole process took more than a year to design and manufacture and consists of everything from a bear made from cushions to a teacup penguin!
Harrods
A visit to Harrods is not just a shopping trip, it’s an experience. The luxury department store boasts the most expensive Christmas window displays on our list, with some dresses costing in excess of £80,000. This year’s theme, ‘Harrods Christmas Express,’ features each of the many Brompton Road windows representing a carriage on a lavish train. Every window transports us to a different location, and with no expenses spared, Harrods have added more than a touch of glitz and glamour to the Christmas magic. Where else can you step from the Great Wall of China to the Alps and back in a matter of seconds?
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols put on a spectacular light show this year with their futuristic twist on Christmas. Each window has been filled with giant, kaleidoscopic snowflakes and mannequins adorned with elaborate flashing halos and angel wings. This display really pops at night time as the lighting switches on and off at intervals, making it pack a punch in low light. The space age feel compliments the selection of designer clothes on display, whilst still feeling festive without an excess of baubles and tinsel. The windows have a contemporary twist on the traditional Christmas window display.
Liberty
Liberty is renowned for their focus on design – with their own range of art print fabrics and internationally recognised retail design. For a store that makes such an impression all the year round, they know they really have to step up their game come the festive season. This year, Liberty opted for a pop-art themed display, with clear inspiration taken from the work of Lichtenstein. While black shapes set against a stark white background do not make for the most festive Christmas window display on the high street this year, it certainly keeps Liberty a step ahead of the rest when it comes to design.
Inspired to make some changes to your window displays? Get in touch with us today and our team of retail design experts will work with you to tell your own story to the public. Merry Christmas!
