How To Change Your Food Display For The Festive Season

1. Capture The Festive Spirit

It's no secret that customers spend more in the run up to Christmas. Whether you're a deli, café or restaurant, a great food display can mean higher foot traffic into your store. It also offers the possibility of customers coming back again if they've had a high-quality, enjoyable experience.

Festive food displays are visually appealing and can be designed to match the holiday season. The use of vibrant colours, decorative garnishes, and thematic arrangements can catch the eye and create a sense of excitement and anticipation.

When it comes to food, customers gain sensory stimulation and, often, will also have an emotional connection. The sight, sound and smell of an engaging food display can be the difference between a customer browsing to a successful sale. Use smells such as cinnamon, ginger, pine, vanilla and orange to attract the customer to your display.

Once the smell has brought the customer in, make sure your display looks just as appealing. Use mistletoe, holly and spruce to decorate. Even if it's a small counter top display showcasing mince pies. That simple attention to detail means a lot to the customer and can evoke those sensory and emotional connections.

2. Attract Foot Traffic

It's not only about how customers behave when they're in your store. Creating an attractive and appealing window display is what's going to get customers through the door. Use a range of different display risers, wicker display baskets, signage and CrateWall to create a variety of height and texture within your display.

Ensure your products are well arranged, display your branding where possible and offer promotions and discounts if you can. It's human nature to be curious. When they see something unusual, intriguing or beautiful, they're inclined to investigate further. Adding softer lighting around the Christmas period can also give a warmer and more inviting look to the customer.

Once they're in store, allow them to continue their festive journey. Use wicker shopping baskets for a rustic feel. These along with the metal basket stand can be decorated. Tie a simple satin ribbon that matches your colour theme or use jute rope to attach small Christmas decorations and take the rustic theme even further.

Now your customer is in your store (with their shopping basket ready to fill), it's the time to show off your product. Use Christmas tree shaped boards and star shaped boards to promote smaller product ranges such as chocolates, cheese, marzipan or charcuterie. These also work well if you wanted to offer instore tasting. Use risers and stands for larger products such as festive pastries or Christmas cakes.

3. Boost Sales & Revenue

Appealing displays play a significant role in increasing that all-important impulse buying in retail environments. We've already mentioned that height variation in your window display can entice customers into store. This can be utilised once again when it comes to your till area or counter top.

This kind of product placement can lead to unplanned purchases. By positioning complementary or related items together, customers are more likely to add them to their basket without prior intent. As well as thinking about the kind of product you want in these store areas, it's worth spending the time getting the look right.

We have four retail and catering collections that can help you think about the kind of look you want within your space. As you'll be showcasing your Christmas displays from as early as September, it's often a good idea to bring in some new display products. The Faba collection is crafted from rich acacia wood and is made up of crates, risers and signage which have all been expertly designed to increase customer engagement.

The Stak collection offers you a more rustic feel. In an olive-grey colour, the range is made from durable pine wood and the versatile wooden crates are easy to stack. This, once again gives you that important height-factor. The Arco collection is made from solid oak and a little lighter in colour than Faba and Stak. The range offers a display solution that works with many decors and in high traffic environments. The Moda collection offers a range of different wirework risers, tripods and counter-top stands. A great range if you're looking to mix and match different materials but still want a cohesive look.

4. Utilise Online & Social Media

If you also have an online store then utilising online platforms to promote festive displays is a smart and effective way to reach an even wider audience. Ensure your website is up to date with those fantastic festive food displays you've spent so much time on.

Create dedicated landing pages or sections to showcase images, descriptions, and any special offers related to the displays. Make it easy for visitors to access this content. In terms of marketing, share your high-quality images of your festive displays on your chosen social platforms (Facebook, Instagram etc) using relevant hashtags.

When it comes to social media, you don't even need to have to be selling online. Social is another handy tool to get people to your store. Share instore promotions, video content that shows what customers can expect when they get to your shop or café and if you're having any events or taster sessions in the run up to Christmas. Don't forget to share your location so people know where you are and can then plan their visit.

It's never too early to start decorating for the Christmas period. No matter how small your space may be, there's plenty of potential when it comes to adding some festive cheer. Using height variation, different textures and well thought out product placement can all mean getting your customer through the door and shopping with you, rather than the competition.

Return to the Retail Display E-Learning Hub.