How do you measure the success of a window or in-store display?

Tony Falcone, Fast Buck Freddie's, Key West, FL

The display is almost as important as the merchandise itself, not only in our windows but throughout the store. We have areas set up with large platforms for vignettes where we can feature trends or new items. Evaluation is easy because we have to replace product that we sell out of the display. Response to any product that we put into vignettes is always strong. For example, an African display we did was incredible. We used woven raffia backdrops, cut large African masks out of foam, and accented the vignette with bark and mud cloth. It was anchored by furniture pieces with an African feel and filled with smaller items, from picture frames to flatware. Even objects that have been in the store for over a year have been put in a vignette, and they sell out quickly. We apply this concept through to our shelves, as well. We don't just stack merchandise, we look at each collection as a vignette.

Judi Tewell, Los Osos Rexall Drug, Los Osos, CA

I measure the success of the display simply by seeing how well merchandise has sold from it. Doing displays is my favorite part of the job. I love seeing what works and what doesn't. I have had beautiful displays that have given the message, "Don't mess me up by touching anything." Obviously, they didn't do much to increase my bottom line. Some of my most successful displays are ones that have interjected a sense of fun, like beautiful crystal vases on a table with stuffed kitties peeking out of them and a coordinating color of yarn tying it all together. Most of my displays have color as the unifier. A few years ago we had a display of candles, stationery, notepads, and mugs depicting fat people located next to a smaller section of diet books and sugar-free candy. Customers will often buy almost anything that makes them smile.

Jill Wieder, Chelsea Galleries, Cleveland, OH

All our displays are sales tools. You create a story, and if you're good, people will buy the whole display. We have vertical display cases that are constantly changing as things sell out of them. It gives customers subliminal ideas. They'll say, "I never thought of putting that and that together." I like balance in my displays. I look at the shapes and sizes of things, use risers if I have to, or add color with paper, cardboard, or a prop. Sometimes I make the whole display with a color theme. Sometimes it's a mix of different things that work together. And sometimes it's a style — everything contemporary or everything romantic. The location of your displays in the store and how often you move things to keep them looking fresh also have a lot to do with their success.

Jim Zimmerman, Cottura, Los Angeles, CA

Our window displays are very important and we try to be as creative and innovative as possible. We evaluate their success by measuring the increase in foot traffic, along with sales of the items in the window. We take daily tallies of people entering the stores, and chart them against sales this year and last year. Interior displays of new merchandise are easy to measure: If it sells and generates customer interest, we're successful. It's hard to tell if it's the display or the merchandise though. We listen to customer feedback to get a better feel. Displays for existing merchandise are more difficult to measure. We can only do this when we remerchandise a pattern or group of products. If we see a jump in sales, we know that it was a successful display.