With Thanksgiving just two weeks away and Christmas/New Year’s not far behind, you should have your holiday-season merchandising strategy in place by now. The large retailers certainly do. This season looks to be very competitive, with aggressive price cutting on big-ticket items like widescreen HD TVs, computers and other highly desirable items. And the big guys got sort of sneaky with their holiday advertising, starting with subtle hints in October.

How can you carve a niche for yourself this holiday season? You don’t have to spend big bucks to draw people into your store. But don’t be a Scrooge, either. You should be on the lookout year-round for holiday-season design elements. Non-traditional items like chili pepper string lights might make a good start. Or go with all-white string lights instead of the standard red and green. You know your customers best. Shake them up once in a while with unexpected holiday displays.

Changing out your windows displays regularly conveys to shoppers that yours is a store that keeps up with the times. If you’re selling dinnerware, fore example, a window display with a table set for Thanksgiving is a natural. You can even buy a faux turkey on eBay.

I found a pop-art style plastic Christmas tree set at a local chain hardware store. It would look right at home in a kids’ store or a downtown department store. The price tag? Only $25 each. I can just see a forest of them in a creative retailer’s windows and aisles.

If you don’t feel artistic enough to tackle such projects, consider students or recent grads of local design schools.

You only need to look at a holiday calendar to plan upcoming display change-outs. From New Year’s to July 4th to Christmas, you can find a theme that suits the time of year. Need help finding the appropriate displays? You can find plenty of display wholesalers in the Yellow Pages or online. But don’t forget non-traditional outlets like Party City, where you can obtain all kinds of accessories and decorations for just about any theme imaginable.

If you don’t feel artistic enough to tackle such projects, consider students or recent grads of local design schools. They’re usually eager to add to their portfolio, so have them come up with a holiday concept for your store. If you like it, reward them with merchandise, cash or an internship. Take advantage of their enthusiasm at this stage of their career. You might be the springboard for a future store-design legend. Also review the jobs-wanted postings at VMSD.com to find a pro who will work for a moderate fee. The cost should be more than offset by the increase in sales.

It goes without saying that shoppers love to see imaginatively arranged mannequins. Dress them up for the holidays, with scarves, caps, gloves and other Christmastime fashions. Get creative. If you sell surfboards, put one under the arm of a wet-suited mannequin wearing a Santa’s cap, and sprinkle sand around its feet.

If you think mannequins are too expensive, think again. The price range is vast. You can always start with a used mannequin, then build your collection as your budget allows. Featuring the same mannequin(s) from season to season in clever window displays will have your customers looking forward to their next visit.

Remember to check out the windows and interiors of stores that are know for great holiday themes. Eddie Bauer, Target and Restoration Hardware are chains that come to mind. But each city and town has its own cadre of retail stores that are known for their imaginative themes. Pay them a visit to get some free lessons.

Shoppers line up the by the thousands to see the elaborate window displays at legendary New York department stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. Inside, they’re greeted by even more eye candy, as each department seemingly tries to outdo its neighbors. It helps to have a huge budget to pull off great visual merchandising like this. But with a little imagination, you can get customers talking about your creative holiday themes, too.