Window Shopping: The Magic of Christmas in London

Visual merchandisers understand the power of a captivating window display that can stop a potential customer in their tracks and draw them in. At Christmas time, in particular, merchandisers up the ante with magical window displays that tell a visual story. 

In London, the draw of imaginative shop windows along with street decorations and twinkling lights has seen an increase in the number of visitors taking ‘Christmas Light Tours.’ Additionally, the amount of visitors with their finger poised on instagram has noticeably increased, turning the spectacle into a social media campaign. 

This year, a hotspot favourite is Bond Street. As London’s most luxurious shopping street that spans Oxford Street to Piccadilly the entire street is garlanded with lit up Chanel No5 bottles. 

Stores drawing in the crowds with their displays include Chanel, Cartier and Dior, all of which have enveloped their shop fronts in magical installations that take over the entire building. 

Themes range from the 1900 Paris World Fair at Louis Vuitton to whimsical sea creatures at Dior, inspiration that runs beyond traditional trees and baubles. However, there is plenty of that too.

It’s at this time of year that the bricks and mortar stores can create brand experience and shopping festivity that is more difficult to achieve online, as the crowds can certify. For big brands these displays can be up to a year in planning and can offer the rest of us a masterclass in how to creatively present merchandise. 

From high end designers and department stores to independent shops keeping it simple, here’s some of our favourites this festive season…