A study into the role of a storefront window display in the purchase process, done by Oh & Petrie (2012), reveals an important impact on the shopping behaviour of consumers.
For instance, a storefront window display is one factor that may determine whether a passer-by enters a store or not, and which perception of a brand or store is formed. The purpose of the research was to study the effect of a storefront window display and the different elements of the environment on the decision of the consumer to enter a store or not.
The researchers experimented by placing a storefront window display with an artistic look next to another focusing only on the products. This created situations in which different shopping motives (such as purposeful or relaxed shopping) and cognitive factors could be studied.
The visual attractiveness of a storefront window display can generate a first impression that influences the decision to enter the store or not. Prior research has found that consumers have two basic needs: wanting to understand and wanting to explore an environment. Visual elements seem to facilitate approach behaviour in this context. A coherent environment (here: the storefront window display) should make it easier to understand it and in turn a more complex environment could stimulate exploration.
If we apply this theory to a storefront window display, we see that in a setting that focuses on sales, explicit messages are passed on to the consumer, facilitating his understanding of the environment. Artistic storefront window displays, on the other hand, convey rather abstract messages which instigate curiosity in consumers, making them want to explore the store further. Compared to a setting focusing on sales, the artistic setting presents a bigger risk to perform badly because of the limited use of products and the two-sidedness of the message that is being communicated. Displaying sufficient product information can diminish this risk. Of course, consumers who shop in a more functional and deliberate way have a bigger need for information than consumers who mainly shop in a recreational way.
From different experiments in this study, it appears that it isn’t always easy to capture the consumer with a storefront window display, given that his reaction (being attracted to the storefront window display and eventually entering the store) depends on his mood and the purpose of the shopping trip. The storefront window display works best when it is adapted to the target audience. The window will need a different image when appealing to recreational consumers, versus purposeful consumers. This need does not only differ for stores in different locations, but also for different types of stores (flagship store, outlet store, store in a shopping mall, etc.). Paying attention to this consideration will help retailers to set up the right storefront window display, increase traffic to the store and hence pay off the investment
Oh, H. & Petrie, J. (2012). How do storefront window displays influence entering decisions of clothing stores? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 19, 27–35.