Creating window displays: How John Lewis dresses to impress
What's it like creating window displays at John Lewis? Joanna Borrett spent the morning with some of the company's visual merchandising team to find out.
What's it like creating window displays at John Lewis? Joanna Borrett spent the morning with some of the company's visual merchandising team to find out.AS I WALKED towards the information desk at Queensgate Shopping Centre, it was hard to ignore the vivid red 'clearance' signs in the windows of John Lewis.
But these displays won't be there for long. When the sale ends on July 20, the windows will be full of bright exhibitions of homeware in brilliant primary colours, designed to entice even the most undomesticated of us into the store.
And it's these windows displays – that you may think you don't notice, but are actually an exceptionally effective form of promotion – that I had arrived to find out more about.
I was met by Caroline O'Donovan, the company's friendly promotions manager, who took me upstairs to the restaurant for a cappuccino and explained some of the different aspects of her work, emphasising John Lewis's commitment to corporate social responsibility, respect for customers and the sheer fun of her job.
"In a minute I'll introduce you to David Motley, one of the visual merchandisers," she said. "He's very chatty and he'll tell you more about exactly how the window displays are put together."
When David (young, enthusiastic and yes, chatty), took me down to his office to outline the way the layouts are planned, it was clear the procedure was more complex than I expected. "It all starts from head office in London," he said, indicating a multicoloured and complicated-looking chart on the wall.
"We are sent a planner telling us what to display and when, and my job is to be responsible for making it happen. Peterborough has 21 windows to dress, so there's plenty of scope to tweak ideas to make them more individual.
"With some windows I have a completely free hand, and in that case I usually contact department managers to see what their most interesting products are and co-ordinate the design based on their feedback. The units and painting are done by our carpenters and our trademark style is understated."
So much for the basics, but David then asked whether I'd like help with their All Things Bright and Beautiful home ware display which will be gracing the windows after the clearance. I followed him behind some screens, took off my shoes and found myself in one of the main windows, watching the Queensgate passers-by through the glass – a novel experience, with a touch of being in an exhibit in a zoo.
First I helped carry one of the display panels through a narrow passageway into the window, and then I attempted to drill screws into the panel to attach them to the floor. This may sound easy, but for me it was tough.
The panels are heavy and take a considerable amount of strength to manipulate and even the drill had to be held down with force.This is a job for the physically fit and it's easy to see why it takes three people a full day to put one window display together.
Afterwards David walked me round the store, showing me different displays, explaining how they'd been created and pointing out unusual colour combinations.
Especially impressive was the flair with which the haberdashery department models were dressed in stunning outfits, fixed together with swathes of material and a few pins.
Before I left, I asked some more challenging questions: Had they considered making their mannequins a size 14, rather than a size 10, to more accurately reflect their average customer?
"Yes, we had a special promotion where all the mannequins were size 14 and we may do this again at some point."
Have they considered selling clothes made from recycled material?
"Yes. We do sell a range of accessories and handbags made from recycleable material and, we once built a window display entirely from cardboard for Making A Difference."
Is it right to encourage people to buy more than they need, bearing in mind the recession and the environment crisis?
"Our products are built to last for many years, and that's healthy for the environment."
John Lewis steers a clear line through a shopping minefield, and its secure middle path is proving increasingly popular with a public who are probably more socially aware today than they have ever been before.
The company's refreshing policy of making staff Partners fo John Lewis seems to encourage a healthy blend of personal commitment and team spirit, and I remembered a phrase Caroline O'Donovan had used when we were having coffee.
"Working here is more than a job – it's an ethos."
To find out more about working for John Lewis visit www.jlpjobs.com.
The John Lewis work experience : Caroline O'Donovan, Promotions manager
"I joined John Lewis as a trainee after my A levels. I've been here 29 years now and I love it. My aim is to bring as many customers into the store as possible, and thinking up dynamic ways to do this is great. I'm always bouncing ideas off different people: every day is different. One of the best things has been arranging fashion shows for local businesses to help them raise money for charity.
Charities are important to us as a company anyway and we take corporate social responsibility very seriously. There are probably very few people today who have spent their working career with one company, but I prefer it. Even after all this time I can say, quite truly, that I still have masses of enthusiasm for my job."
David Motley: Visual merchandiser
" After my A levels I did a foundation course in art and design and then took a year off. My parents saw a job vacancy in John Lewis and suggested I apply.
It was only intended to be temporary but I was soon moved into the fashion and window dressing section and found I was enjoying it tremendously.
My managers then suggested I focus on drawing and installing, which is the area I like most. Our window displays are one of the most valuable forms of promotion we have and I often go to Oxford Street, when I'm in London, to see what other stores have done in their flagship branches; although it's more dramatic than we'd use here, it's inspiring.
People often think this job is glamorous but in reality it's more about sawdust, lifting, painting and paperwork, and it's not for the fainthearted. But it's great that everyone is a Partner and we all get the same percentage of salary as a bonus each year. I think it's one of the fairest ways to run a business.".
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