Indies spread love and inspiration with public participation window displays
Getting customers to show their love and inspiration has sparked two great window displays for indie retailers I Drew This and Stationery Supplies.
For the first Valentine’s Day in her Brighton store, Ilona Drew decided to spread the love: “I’ve given the windows to everyone to share their love for their boyfriends, girlfriends, crushes, dogs, cats or selves!”
Artist and publisher Ilona, who opened the shop just in time for the Christmas selling season, said there had been “an ace reaction to the idea – it’s so heart-warming,” with many people adding their personal messages, and picking up a Valentine’s card too.
Up in Marple, Stationery Supplies’ owner Sarah Laker had her own take on the idea, asking customers to pop in with a quote, doodle, drawing “anything that will bring a smile to the face of those who see it”.
And in exchange she gave every participant a pink shimmery highlighter in a collaboration with Maped Helix to brighten up the final days of January “the longest, darkest, gloomiest month of the year”.
Sarah added: “I just wanted to make Marple sparkle so we asked people to write down a quote they love or something that made them smile or about something or someone they live or copy a passage from their favourite book or even draw a picture or a doodle or a cartoon or anything to bring a smile to those that see it.
“Writing matters! I had so many lovely drawings and quotes coming in, my window has been filling up, and it brought joy to January.”
