Visual Merchandising Display - Fairchild Books

store’s light, the window light seems stronger. If a shopper
passing by sees the light in the window, he or she will also
see the display of merchandise and be aware of the retail
space viewed to either side of the partial background. The
shopper knows that the store is open; the shopper knows
what kind of merchandise is available. If the retailer is
enlightened enough, he or she will also add some interesting
or exciting props—or furniture—to the display,
enhancing the image of the merchandise and the store.
Lighting the Closed-Back Window
If the store has an enclosed display window—three walls, a
floor, and a ceiling—the display person has greater opportunities
for magical lighting effects. Not only can the display
person highlight the featured merchandise and bring to it
the attention it warrants, but he or she can also use light
to “paint” the background a complementary or accenting
color or dramatize the setting by creating a particular ambience;
for example, blue and green lighting to simulate an
underwater look or yellows and oranges mixed with reds
to create the atmosphere of a setting sun or a rich day in
autumn. Colored lights, colored filters, and theatrical gels
all work wonderfully well to achieve these effects.
Many theatrical lighting supply stores also carry a variety
of cut-out, patterned light filters that create images in light
on walls, floors, and even on the merchandise. With these
pierced filters, one can have rain, snow, lightening, or sunshine;
light streaming through a Gothic window for a bridal
setting; palm trees in the tropics for swimwear; a starlit night
for ball gowns; or fireworks for a red, white, and blue promotion—or
a spectacular sale event. More expensive but
also more effective are the filters that rotate around the light,
causing movement and animation in the window.
Using these techniques requires great control over the
daylight that might, at certain times of the day, overpower
the window lighting and the special effects. Awnings drawn
down during the sunlight hours can help somewhat, but
even better is setting the merchandise and the mannequins
as far back as possible in the closed-back window to take
full advantage of the lighting effects and to overcome the
effects of glare and reflection. (See Figure 4.2.)
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P a r t 1 : G e t t i n G S ta r t e d — V i S u a l M e r c h a n d i S i n G a n d d i S P l ay B a S i c S
Figure 4.2 With an enclosed window, the display person has more
opportunities for effective and theatrical lighting. As shown here, the
focusable spots are located on a track above the windows, and the
lamps can be targeted at the mannequins. Because the windows
are fairly deep, there is opportunity for backlighting and the use of
illuminated objects. Lord & Taylor, Fifth Avenue, New York.
Incandescent lighting and MR16s, to be discussed later
in this chapter, are the most effective sources for window
display lighting.
Planning Store Interior Lighting
Now that we know the store is open, let us step inside and
see what is to be seen. Light means seeing. Light serves to
lead the shopper into and through the store. It directs the
shopper’s attention from one featured presentation or classification
to another, with stops along the way to appreciate
the highlighted focal points and displays. It can separate
one area from the next; one boutique or vendor’s shop