Ready or not, here it comes! The holiday season! Every year, holiday commercials, displays and songs seem to hit us even earlier.

Certainly, the holidays can evoke warm memories of family. Or, for you, it may evoke feelings of anxiety surrounding preparations and shopping. But, no matter how you feel or what you do, one thing is for certain: Whether you realize it or not, digital signage is a large part of the season and has been for some time.

Holiday digital signage in retail spaces serves many purposes. But, the one thing it should always accomplish is to make the lives of both the retailer and the shopper easier. Here’s how to get it right during the most wonderful time of the year.

Stock Levels – Retailers can utilize kiosks to combat some of the holiday craziness. Offering in-store kiosks allows customers to search inventory online or at a nearby location for out of stock items. These kiosks can be made even more interactive by offering functions such as customer service support and the ability to pay a store-specific credit card bill. Further, by offering free standard shipping for orders placed at these kiosks, retailers can negate lost sales due to sold-out items.

Modeling – New large-scale displays are changing the retail landscape. Customers no longer have to simply wonder how something will look on them. 84″ displays now allow folks to check out clothing on life-size models who appear nearly 3D on 4K screens. Prior to these large screens, you would have to utilize four 42″ screens to attempt to achieve this experience, though it was certainly not as successful due to the division created by bezels.

When used in windows, these large screens allow retail stores to forgo the lengthy process of changing window displays. Additionally, content can quickly be updated with new sales or models’ attire can be tailored to the current weather conditions.

The Best Gifts – Inside the store, digital signage is most often pumped up for the holidays, with displays featuring videos and stills suggesting some of the very best holiday gifts. While signage here helps consumers come up with gift ideas, informs them of sales and promotions, and directs them throughout the store, this signage can also benefit the retailer. For example, large retailers with high traffic can look to display sponsors to combat some digital signage maintenance costs.

Attention Grabbers – Attractive outdoor signage can guide shoppers to your store and advertise sales. However, with many retail brick-and-mortar stores’ inclusion in outdoor shopping malls and outdoor storefronts, special considerations must be made for this signage. Still, retailers need not be hesitant of implementation costs. For, it is these same considerations that will reduce costs in the long-term.

For outdoor digital signs, retailers should look for 100 percent sealed (even down to the cable entry) displays, engineered to endure extreme elements in all seasons. With built-in thermal management systems, display components can now be kept safely warmed in severe cold and properly cooled in severe heat, reducing electricity costs. Retailers should look for displays with an IP68 rating—this signifies their protection against dirt, ice formation, and temporary submersion in water, as well as their ability to operate in extreme temperatures from -40°F to 140°F. Shatterproof, impact-resistant glass is also a must for outdoor displays, especially in unattended public places.

Benefits – The main appeal for retailers in regards to selecting digital signage will be the reduction in operational costs. While static signage needs to be continually printed, hung, and taken down again and again, digital signage can instantly be changed to reflect new sales, promotions, and changes in inventory.

Digital signage can certainly be used to generate revenue through advertising, but what retailers can and should really offer shoppers is the experience of personalized guest service. From customized wayfinding, to exclusive promo codes, to virtual outfit selection/modeling, with digital signage, we can create a 360-degree brand experience, allowing customers to interact with brands anywhere, at any time of day. A constant stream of fresh content on-demand is the expectation of your customers and it is through digital signage that retailers can truly spread the spirit of the season.