When creating your back-to-school window displays, you will likely be trying to appeal to families with children, which is why a child mannequin might be one of your best visual merchandising friends. Mannequins are making a comeback in a lot of ways this year, and the same is true for child mannequins.
Whether you choose a flexi-form or a solid figure, there are ways to use these mannequins to make the most of them in your back-to-school displays.
Dress them well
Just like with all mannequins, the smaller, child versions need to be dressed to perfection, which means tucking or removing all visible tags, pressing out all wrinkles and pinning loose sections to make the clothes fit perfectly. If your store sells accessories or shoes, make sure your child mannequins have those, too!
Make them look like kids!
As professional and well-dressed as you want your child mannequins to look, you don't want them to merely look like miniature adults. Arrange them in child-like positions or even set up a playground scene in your store window. The clothing might seem more accessible to shopping families if the mannequins seem to be jumping rope or chasing after a ball like their children might do on the playground.
Use props
Mannequins have an undeniable appeal to many shoppers, since they provide an example of how garments can be worn and how they look when they're on. However, they can be even more effective when mixed with other props. Consider adding some playground essentials like kickballs or baseball gloves to your display, or set the kids up with notebooks and backpacks. Mixing child and adult mannequins is a good way to make suggestions of how your clothes could be worn to the many family-friendly activities of fall, like apple picking.
