The Bay's annual Christmas display 2008

Here's the annual Christmas display from the Bay. Every year, a new display shows off Christmas of yesteryear with Santa and his elves making toys for good girls and boys. For those who aren't familiar with the display, it dates back to the 1930's where toy soldiers and red rider BB guns were on the lists of many. Speaking of old toys, today, I doubt the toys on the minds of children surround those that can be substituted as firewood. I'd think that if you put in a Nintendo Wii (which the Bay has on sale) in a fire the carcinogen's would become problematic. However, the Red Rider BB gun might look cool if it were loaded with bullets. Safety glasses optional.

Next year, I'd love to see Santa in his electronics workshop. I mean really, how does he get around the patent rights, hire enough qualified engineers and oversee a global operation that covers just about every toy in the world? Take a note from the Apple Store Santa, and next year wear some ipod headsets in your display and power them from Rudolph's nose.

Here's a link to what's on sale at the Bay.

Le Chateau makes an impression

Just like their club wear, the Le Chateau in the Eaton Centre makes a statement. The display looks like just the kind of sexy party I wanted to be at over the holidays and they're all wearing such nice clothing too (probably bought from... Le Chateau). This party is so awesome, there's even a woman hanging out from under the table just chillin. Oh wait, there's food in front of her so she might be in the middle of eating.

Have you been to their website too? Pretty slick and very stylish. This company really knows how to sell the lifestyle and fashion by making it a priority to have a a well-to-do package. I am really looking forward to checking out more of their displays throughout the year and showcasing them for you. Their display team should be very proud of the work here. Very well done. Because of the quality of work here, I am starting to think that it's time to have a ranking system on this website. What do you think?

Harry Rosen's Economic Bailout plan

I found this window display from Harry Rosen, funny. Possibly because it's coming from one of the more expensive clothing retailers in Toronto giving us a break. What's 40% off a pair of $150 socks? $90! SOLD! My feet have never been so pampered in such Made-In-China luxury.

If Sony Style looked like this, we'd all look like garbage

What a disgrace.

Here's the Sony Store in the Eaton Centre with a front display looking like a warehouse during Christmas season. It looks like someone attempted to make the display look nice by wrapping the display window in a black SONY TV frame (it's hard to see, but it's in the first picture, at the bottom) as if we're looking at a TV window into the store. Clever, but, why did you quit by stacking boxes at the front of the store? The LCD in the centre of the window doesn't even add any value to the display with the giant blu-ray players just sitting there taking up precious space. Is that how Sony intends on selling blu-ray players this holiday? I hope not. This Christmas/Boxing Day is very important to Sony as it's the first Christmas holiday sale that they'll have since beating out HD DVD earlier on in the year. This display shows that they weren't even trying and decided to cop out by throwing up trash for customers to move around.

But if you're still in the mood for a blu-ray player, I've always had success at (another warehouse electronics store, go figure) 2001 Audio Video who has consistently been cheaper on all occasions that I've shopped here, along with my family and friends who I've sent. Only if you can get over the cheesy saleman pitch, you'll get a good deal. Check out their boxing day sale and buy a blu-ray player, won't you?

Apple Store - Eaton Center

I really like how this display looks. It's simple, uncomplicated and uses recognizable characters wearing the trendy classic Apple in-ear headphones. The look is branded so well that I don't even have to post the logo for the company that makes the headphones (I have them anyway, but what's the point, it's so obvious!). There's nothing else on display here but it makes sense that the iPOD is at the front of the store since it's still a very popular product and on the Christmas lists of many.

Click here to see what's going on at the Apple Store, Eaton Centre location.

The Eaton's displays over the years

In Toronto, the Eaton's Centre has always brightened the streets of Toronto through their fabulous display windows across. Here's a link to an online exhibit about The Eaton Centre's historical store front displays over the years.

http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/eatons-windows/curatorial.htm