December is the busiest month of the year for most shops, and the worst month to be chasing a print order. Christmas signage for shops works best when it is sorted in October and early November, so it is up and doing its job from the first weekend people start thinking about gifts.
Here is what is worth printing for the season, what can wait, and a simple timeline for ordering it.
What does Christmas signage for shops need to say?
Christmas shoppers are in a hurry and often buying for someone else. Your signs should answer their questions before they have to ask:
What makes a good gift here. A few hero products or a gift range, named plainly.
Price points or bundles, if you run them. "Gifts under ..." style groupings help people decide fast.
Gift vouchers. The answer for the person who has everything, and the last-minute shopper.
Your Christmas and New Year hours. Especially the days you are closed.
Any cut-off dates, such as the last day for orders or for engraving and personalising.
Resist the urge to say all of it everywhere. Give each piece one job. Our guide to printing for seasonal specials without overdoing it explains how to keep a busy season from turning into a cluttered shop.
Start with the front window
The window is the biggest sign you have, and it is seen by everyone who walks past. Seasonal window lettering is cut from vinyl and comes off cleanly when the season ends, so you can dress the glass for Christmas without committing to it for the year. Keep it simple: a greeting, your gift message and maybe a snowflake or two, with space left clear so people can still see the display behind it.
If you change the display during the season, a few advertising posters inside the glass are easy to swap. For ideas that pull people through the door, see window signage ideas that actually bring people in.
Rule of thumb: anything in the window should be readable from the far side of the footpath. If it needs a second look to understand, it is too small or too busy.
Inside the shop: make gifting easy
Once people are inside, print helps them buy with confidence.
Swing tags. Branded swing tags on your gift range make a product feel ready to give, and they carry your name into someone else's home.
Stickers for packaging. A logo sticker on a paper bag or a wrapped box looks considered. Roll labels are easy to use at the counter on a busy day.
Counter and shelf signs. A small sign by the register pointing to vouchers or a gift range works harder than you would expect.
Gift vouchers for the last-minute shopper
Every shop has customers who walk in on 23 December with no idea what to buy. Printed gift vouchers give them an easy answer, and they bring a new customer through the door in January when the voucher is spent. Make sure each voucher has a place for a number, an amount and an expiry, and keep them somewhere staff can reach without leaving the counter.
While you are at it, a loyalty card handed out with Christmas purchases gives people a reason to come back after the holidays.
Christmas and New Year hours
Changed hours are the thing customers most often miss. Put them on the door with opening hours decals or a clear printed sign, and put them up before December so regulars see them more than once. A changeover A-frame on the footpath can carry the hours in the last week, when they matter most.
Update your hours online too. Many people check Google before they leave home, so follow our Google Business Profile checklist and set your holiday hours there as well.
Planning for January before Christmas
The quietest weeks of the year come straight after the busiest. A postcard in every shopping bag with a January offer, a new-year class or a reminder about your sale gives people a reason to return. Thick stock feels like something worth keeping, not something to bin with the wrapping paper.
When should you order Christmas printing?
Everyone else is ordering at the same time as you, and deliveries slow down as December goes on. A calm plan looks something like this:
Early to mid October: decide what you need, measure the window and send the brief.
Late October: check and approve proofs. This is where most delays happen, so do not leave it sitting.
Early to mid November: collect or receive the order and have the window dressed before the late November weekends.
December: top-ups only, such as more vouchers or a sign for your final trading days.
Each product page shows an estimated turnaround, so you can check how much time each piece needs. For a wider view, see how long printing really takes.
Before you order: measure the glass from the inside and send us the sizes, along with a photo of the window. We set the layout to your measurements, and you or your shopfitter apply it.
Common questions
When should I put Christmas signage up in my shop?
Most shops dress their windows in November, so aim to have everything in hand by then. That means ordering in October.
Can Christmas window lettering be removed afterwards?
Yes. Cut vinyl lettering peels off glass when the season is over, which is why it suits seasonal messages.
What is the most useful thing to print if I only do one?
Your Christmas and New Year hours. A shopper who finds a locked door rarely comes back to try again.
Can you design our Christmas signs for us?
Yes. Send your logo and what you want to say, and our team will set it up and send a proof to approve before anything is made.
Ready to get the season sorted? Start with our print advertising range, where each product shows live pricing and an estimated turnaround, or ask us to design it for you.
