Retail Display Trends for 2021: Is Your Brand Summer-Ready?  

It’s been an unusually difficult year for many of us for obvious reasons, so when it comes to retail, it’s perhaps hardly surprising that this is reflected in the bright, vivid summer window display trends we’ve seen for 2021. And while it may not seem a priority on the face of it, actually there’s never been a better time to make the most of window displays and retail signage to maximum effect.   All retail premises have now been allowed to open for several months, and while online purchasing is still convenient and popular, we’re confident customers are delighted to be back shopping in person. Research has shown that even among millennials, the generation of digital natives, a whopping 82% still prefer to buy in person rather than over the web, especially when it comes to products like make-up and clothes.  

Our Favourite Retail Window Display Trends for Summer 2021

Here, we at Rocket have picked out some of our favourite window display trends emerging this summer – the general move with summer retail displays seems to be towards an outdoorsy or nature theme, while sustainability is another key element.  

Bold and Vibrant After a Tough Year

As we start to emerge from all the difficult challenges of the past 15 months or so, and the various lockdowns and enforced shutting of physical shops, it’s understandable that many retailers are opting for bold and vibrant summer window displays which help customers and passers-by to feel good.   At Rocket, we love this notion – bright colours are welcoming and attention-grabbing and help a display stand out. Consider it for your retail signs and window displays.  

Closer to Nature

It’s popular at the moment for retail window displays to feature a lot of leaves, plants, flowers and similar foliage, no doubt because so many of us have immersed ourselves more in the natural world in lockdown, and found it a source of solace and optimism. (Moss is another great idea.)   Bear in mind that you don’t have to use the real thing, although of course you can. Consider artificial variants on natural items, for instance with large, printed window graphics. Or you could use decorative hanging fake flowers, floral prints or dried blooms.  

Take a Garden Theme

Staying with the outdoor theme, anything related to do with the garden is a big hit this summer – and, of course, those lucky enough to have one have particularly appreciated them over the last 15 months. Think flowers, garden furniture and similar accessories from colourful gardening tools to table umbrellas and barbecues. You could also include a pergola structure draped in flowers or a striped backdrop inspired by an immaculately mowed lawn.   Alternatively, focus on a picnic concept, complete with hamper, bright cloth and so on. Or have a beach theme with brightly coloured towels, balls, windbreakers and the like.  

Sustainability

Being eco-friendly remains a hot topic amongst the signage and large format print industry, not least because the major COP26 UN climate change conference comes to Glasgow this autumn. So the issue of sustainability is at the forefront of many people’s minds.   Therefore it’s not surprising that increasingly retailers are plumping for materials which are sustainable and which can be reused or recycled.  In one example, Selfridges’ Project Earth initiative launched in August last year pledged that its materials which had the most impact on the environment would be certifiably sustainably sourced by 2025, which is a very tangible, clear goal.   This trend also extends to broader ethical issues to do with community and social responsibility. In the wake of events such as the Black Lives Matter movement, brands’ core values and ethical practices have been thrust centre-stage.   So if sustainability or recycling is an issue you feel strongly about, proclaim your passion through your retail graphics.  

Make The Most of Technology

Offline stores are still competing with the web, and one of the best ways of doing this is through the effective use of technology. That could mean, for example, being sure that your social media handles are prominent in your retail displays and window graphics.  

Interactive Retail Displays 

Interactive displays are also bang on-trend, although they’ve been around for a while, and you could certainly consider making good use of them in a bold way. Include a video display or have all of one window as a large screen with QR codes for added convenience. Augmented Reality (AR) can also be implemented into your interactive retail display to show passers-by in an exotic location or branded background that they can save or take a photo of.  Or perhaps you’d rather have a combination of digital and more traditional displays?  

Creation of a Comforting Retail Space

As we emerge from lockdown, customers want to feel safe, comfortable and welcomed in the retail environments they visit. So it’s worth thinking about going for anything that has quite a cosy, homely feel.   That could mean, for example, using warm but not garish colours in your window displays or interior signage this season. Perhaps consider having beanbags and armchairs as part of your summer window displays for a relaxing vibe.  

Looking for a Window Display Specialist?

At Rocket Graphics, we work with many of the leading creative companies all over London and indeed the whole of the UK, to bring brilliant window display and retail signage ideas to life.   Over the years, we’ve worked with some of Britain’s top household-name retailers, from River Island and Rosy at Selfridges to the flagship M&M’s World store at Leicester Square in the heart of the capital, as well as many smaller independents. We’re experts in everything from neon signage to vinyl window graphics and backlit LED boards.   Get in touch with us today as the first step towards excellent retail graphics and window displays that are on-trend for a summer in unique times.