Creating a unique look doesn't require retailers to spend a fortune on store decor; a few well-chosen props and some careful painting can give any gift shop style. And customers won't know what displays cost. What they'll see is a look and a feel for design. They also see taste, which has nothing to do with what you spend, but everything to do with how you set it up.

I always shop with an eye toward the displays I come across, and how they might be implemented in a gift and accessory store. Whether I'm looking at a shoe store window or shopping in a full-line department store, inventive displays beg to be photographed. Open your minds to some of the display possibilities below — and set your spring sales in motion.