All year, shoppers yearn to be captivated by holiday spirit – the smell of peppermint and evergreen, sparkly gifts and the sound of Salvation Army bell ringers. Retailers and manufacturers do their best to oblige. Whether it’s redesigning everyday items to boast enchanting packaging or creating surprise and delight through world-famous window displays like those at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, retailers and manufacturers run a crash course in design each year to create holiday magic that will attract customers and capitalize on sales.
With modern day technology and access to consumer data, it is increasingly difficult to defend holiday packaging and store displays that result in underwhelming sales. As consumer shopping continues to grow, sales should as well. Retailers and manufacturers are re-thinking their approach to design with the integration of tools like virtual reality (VR) to help them make well-informed decisions in the design process that will mitigate risk and improve their bottom line.