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BY ANNE FRANZE

Tour some of Toronto’s hottest shops with Anne as your host on Saturday, August 11. Tickets to the popular bus tour, sponsored by Retail News, are limited. Visit www.cgta.org for full details or call (800) 750-1750 .

Creating Christmas Sparkle

Rekindle your customers spark for the season.

In Cobourg, Ont., a town rich in heritage and history, residents frequently stroll up and down the mainstreet, making window displays particularly important for the city’s retailers. Days Gone Buy, a quaint shop located in a 19^thcentury building, houses an impressive selection of home fashions and fashion accessories. To catch the attention of busy customers during the Christmas rush, they wanted to create a jaw-dropping window display.

THE DISPLAY The goal of the display was to make people stop, especially in the evening when residents were taking their nightly strolls. A contemporary palette of cheery red and crisp white, paired with the store’s more traditional merchandise, combined for a simple and sophisticated display. Overall, this window is an excellent example of how colour alone can create a dramatic statement.

STEP 1

Choose two contrasting colours.

STEP 2

Add sparkle with artificial snow and opalescent glitter.

STEP 3 Take advantage of the window’s depth.

Place tall items in back and smaller items in front.

STEP 4

Create height with beautifully wrapped packages.

Anne Franze is the owner of Fraz & Co., a Toronto-based company which educates retailers and store employees on the importance of visual presentation.