The fairytale windows of Stockmann department stores will open - customers and AI involved in the design for the first time

Stockmann, Press Release 31 October 2024

The magical fairytale windows of Stockmann department stores in Helsinki city center, Tampere and Turku will open on Saturday 2 November. In Helsinki city centre, the window will be unveiled for the 75th time. This year, Stockmann offered its customers the opportunity to participate in the construction of the beloved tradition, and hundreds of fairytale window friends sent in their ideas and wishes to support our design phase. Based on the responses, artificial intelligence (AI) created the window's Christmas story and for the first time, customers can find their own wish in the window.   

Stockmann's beloved Christmas tradition is back to delight citizens of all ages. Stockmann introduced the first fairytale window back in 1949, and every year since then the window has been different, reflecting its time. This year, the unveiling of the window is particularly exciting, as both Stockmann customers and AI have contributed to its creation. 

“For the first time, we collected wishes and ideas from customers for the design of the window. We asked them what the Christmas of their dreams would look like and what kind of Christmas characters could appear in Stockmann's fairytale window. We got hundreds of messages and drawings from customers of all ages in response to our open questionnaire. Based on the responses, AI wrote a Christmas story about the power of love, generosity and togetherness," says Riitta Elovaara, Head of Marketing and Brand at Stockmann.   

Spot your Christmas wish in the window

Customers’ responses were used in a concrete way to build the window: for example, the window displays Christmas gifts of the dreams and things that Stockmann customers value during the festive season. One example is a small paradise island in the middle of the window's winter landscape, as a sunny holiday trip was mentioned in many of the responses. Small families of animals, on the other hand, reflect dreams of having children. 

“At Stockmann, we feel that our fairytale window is an important creator of atmosphere and memories, and visiting the window is an important part of many people's Christmas traditions. This time, we feel particularly excited to present the window to our customers, as many of them might spot their own wish there," Elovaara reveals.  

The fairytale windows will open in Helsinki city center, Tampere and Turku on Saturday 2 November 2024 at 2 p.m. More detailed store-specific programmes for this coming Saturday can be found at stockmann.com (in Finnish). In addition, it is already possible to tune into the Christmas spirit at Stockmann's Christmas Shops, which opened in all Finnish department stores on 18 October 2024.  

Further information: 
Riitta Elovaara, Head of Marketing and Brand, Stockmann, tel. +358 40 163 7283

Stockmann is a marketplace for a good life, founded in 1862. Its department stores are known for high-quality selections of fashion, beauty and home brands. In the Baltics, Stockmann also offers quality food and beverages. Stockmann has eight department stores in Finland and the Baltics and an online store stockmann.com. Stockmann is part of Lindex Group plc, which is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki and had a turnover of EUR 952 million in 2023. www.lindex-group.com.