Once Labor Day rolls around, our thoughts naturally turn to all things fall—pumpkin, spiced drinks, candles, and cozy sweaters—even if the temperature still screams summer. This is especially true for retailers. Thanksgiving window displays should be planned about 12 weeks in advance, so while everyone is sending their kids back to school and transitioning to a new Fall schedule, it’s time to start thinking about holidays, and specifically, Thanksgiving windows.
A successful window display should have clear messaging, be seasonal or trendy, and be on brand. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. A few well-positioned pieces can make a dramatic display that will draw attention. Here’s how to create Thanksgiving window displays that customers will fall for.
Key Takeaways for Thanksgiving Window Displays
- Plan Ahead: Retailers should start preparing Thanksgiving window displays at least 12 weeks in advance.
- Keep it focused: Choose a clear focal point—whether merchandise or signage—and build your display around it.
- Use seasonal color palettes: Warm autumn hues like oranges, reds, yellows, and browns create a cozy, nostalgic vibe.
- Incorporate fall elements: Pumpkins, wreaths, gourds, leaves, and seasonal banners instantly set the tone.
- Elevate with pedestals and risers: Varying heights and shapes add visual interest and draw attention to products.
- Leverage lighting: Spotlights, LEDs, and string lights make displays stand out, especially as days get shorter.
- Plan for Black Friday transitions: Have sale signage, decals, and quick swaps ready for an easy post-Thanksgiving refresh.
Why Window Displays Matter
A window display’s main goal is to attract customers and drive sales. It’s the first thing a customer sees as they approach your store. Competition is fierce, and during the holiday season, even more so. Your visual merchandising and window displays enhance your customer experience and help draw people into your store versus a competitor shop or even an online store.
6 Tips for Thanksgiving Window Displays
Create a Focal Point
Window displays are a big driver in attracting customers. They highlight new merchandise, promotions, and enhance brand image. When designing your Thanksgiving window display, first select a focal point. What do you want customers to pay attention to? Is it merchandise? Is it promotional signage? Whatever it is, position it where customers will see it—at the customer’s eye level—then build the rest of the display around that point to ensure the product is seen.
–You can display multiple products as a focal point, but make sure they’re not competing for attention. For example, display merchandise on separate pedestals or risers at the same height.
–Place merchandise at eye level. Pedestals, risers, wooden crates, carts, tables, all help achieve that goal. Then build out your seasonal window display
Focus on Color Themes
Autumn has a specific color association that can be used for an effective window display. Fall color palettes contain warm, rich hues that evoke a sense of coziness, warmth, and nostalgia. Traditional fall colors include shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. Here are a few ways to use color to tap into customer’s feelings of the season.
–Use chalkboard paint markers in fall hues to draw leaves on the window. Illustrations framing the window will emphasize the products on display.
–Displays, such as pedestals and risers can be ordered in fall colors. Backdrops and fabric can also bring color to a display.
Embrace the Season
Thanksgiving window displays using seasonal elements, such as leaves and turkeys, lean into the holiday and double down on nostalgia.
— Flowers, fall wreaths, and gourds are a simple way to acknowledge the season. Bouquets on risers throughout the display, wreaths hung on backdrops, gourds and pumpkins lining the window, etc.
–Hang garlands. Evergreens, pinecones, paper…an easy way to add to yours is hang from the ceiling or create piles of “leaves” on the floor.
–Keep it simple by creating a simple banner spelling out “thankful” or “grateful” to hang across your window. The banner will be easy to remove for Black Friday and December holiday windows.
Use Pedestals and Tiered Risers
Invest in props that help prop up your merchandise so they’re seen by customers. Pedestals and risers not only create visual interest and use additional space, but they raise your merchandise to create a focal point for your Thanksgiving window displays. They’re also versatile as they are available in different colors, sizes, and shapes (even hexagon!). Pedestals of varying heights add visual interest, and pedestals of different shapes, such as hexagon, capture the eye. Here’s how pedestals can be used effectively in a window display.
–Transition through the fall holidays with ease. Black pedestals can go from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Black Friday.
— Store gourds in a wire basket for a pop of fall color. Faux leaves under a pumpkin set on a pedestal is a simple nod to the season.
–Create a rustic, harvest scene. Wooden crates can hold and elevate all sorts of merchandise while providing a harvest theme.
Leverage Lights
Beyond adequate lighting to showcase your displays, make lighting a part of your Thanksgiving window display. This is particularly important for stores, whose windows face the outdoors. When compared to the summer, it gets darker earlier, so window displays with lights can be extremely beneficial in attracting foot traffic.
–LED lights provide a dramatic, eye-catching look to attract shoppers. Warm LEDs provide a cozy glow for Thanksgiving window displays.
–Put your products in the spotlight, literally. Position a spotlight directly over merchandise to show off the focal point of your display.
Don’t Forget about Black Friday
With Black Friday following Thanksgiving, retailers need to transition quickly from one holiday to the next. And Black Friday, retail’s Superbowl, needs a nimble strategy. But luckily, there are a few simple solutions. While you don’t have to completely revamp the window, you can plan for some quick updates to announce any black Friday sales.
–Have sale signage ready to display before the Black Friday crowds hit the pavement. Suspend from the ceiling or place in floors tanding sign holders to add to your display.
–Window decals in an eye-catching red is a simple way to draw shoppers without having to switch out an entire display.
Thanksgiving Window Display Examples
Here are a few creative window displays showcasing the above tips.
Put Your Brand in Lights
One familiar example is how Victoria’s Secret lights up their PINK brand in marquee lights for eye-catching window displays.
Use Fall Florals
Bouquets on risers throughout the display, branches and wreaths hung against backdrops, gourds and pumpkins lining the window, provide a welcoming seasonal scene.
Embrace the change of season
Anthropologie uses recycled mail and paper store bags to make oak leaves. The leaves are often dyed in autumn hues and then strung into garlands and incorporated into their displays.
Go Simple with Your Signage
Have your Black Friday signage at the ready for a quick window refresh the day after Thanksgiving.
Frame Your Display in Lights
Fairy lights in fall hues and an evergreen garland frame for a Rolex display.
Show off Your Autumn Hues
Merchandise in all colors may be all that’s needed for a seasonal display, as shown in this candy store’s window.
Creating Displays with shopPOPdisplays
We hope the above tips give you some ideas for your Thanksgiving window displays. For more inspiration, visit shopPOPdisplays’ Retail Display and Store Fixtures page for the tools you need to bring your ideas to life.