The Idea Bank: What To Know About Windowscaping

It’s February, and after the typical “Year End Clearance Sale” and “50% Off” signs come down from storefront windows, savvy retailers know the bright cheeriness of Valentine’s Day and Spring is the perfect opportunity to use fun and inviting window displays to attract customers back into their stores. Clean and cheery windows are a proven method to attract customers into a retail store.

Landlords of vacant retail space should take note here.  Use of decorative and enticing window displays is a page you should be pulling out of your tenant’s play book.  Like sprucing up landscaping to make your property appealing to future tenants, you should also consider ‘Windowscaping.’  Just as well-curated windows are the chance for your future occupant to showcase their kitchenwares, pet spa or yoga studio … they are an opportunity for you to showcase your property! Your windows are an exceptional, inexpensive, and tested way to market your property, while at the same time, promote the location. 

As a landlord, you want your space rented. In this competitive climate, tenants have a variety of options for retail storefront space. So how can you make yours stand out? Do something to attract a tenant’s attention and a boring “For Rent” sign it is not.  Your windows are a canvas so get creative and see interest increase.  Here are the basics you need to accomplish this.

Light It Up!

You need some power connected to an electric outlet for spotlight or track lighting. You can set your lighting on a timer to save energy use.

Get Your Canvas Ready

Create a background by using a white divider or build a drywall enclosure. If you’re really on a budget, secure white butcher paper from floor to ceiling.

Some Windex and Some Elbow Grease

Clean the windows, inside and out. While you are at it, make sure the interior space beyond is clean for your prospective tenant showings.

Pick a Theme

Anything goes here.  Pick a theme for showcasing your windows and go with it. Here are some suggestions that offer visual interest and can be picked up inexpensively.

·        Flowers and Botanicals

·        Student Art

·        Old Hardware

·        Dishes

·        Bicycles

·        Books

·        Albums

·        Vintage Clothing and shoes

In addition to your curated theme items, you’ll want to add some dimension. Think paint, paper lanterns, streamers, beach balls. The theme should dominate your windows and be clean, organized and playful. Don’t forget to incorporate leasing information in some way.

What Else Is In It For Me?

The practice of decorating windows of vacant storefronts has benefits beyond attracting interest of tenants to your space.

Your windowscaping efforts offers something appealing to area visitors. An interesting th0roughfare adds value to the customers that your future tenants want to attract.  Shoppers become disengaged when faced with empty retail shells. You can combat that effect by providing the aesthetically pleasing, interesting commercial corridors that shoppers demand. The result is more traffic and longer stays benefitting your tenant, and by default, you.

This Spring, abandon your dusty windows with their For Rent Sign and some brown paper. It’s time to make a very small investment in the above approach.  We are certain you’ll like the results.

Not sure how to tackle this project yourself? We’ve got Windex and lots of ideas to share with your marketing department or business association.

 Cheers!

WT