vetrina

Vetrina is an Italian noun used to denote a display window of a retail storefront or a display cabinet designed to exhibit items. In everyday use, a shop’s vetrina refers to the front window where products are arranged to attract customers, or to the display case inside the store that holds goods behind glass. The term can also describe the interior display area with glass panels used to present merchandise. The plural form is vetrine, and the phrase "in vetrina" means on display.

Origin and form: The word is Italian and literally means a glass-fronted case; it derives from vetro, glass, with the diminutive suffix -ina. The sense of "showcase" is widely used in marketing and retail discourse.

Uses and connotations: In retail design, the vetrina is a critical element for visual merchandising, guiding customer attention, setting seasonal themes, and highlighting promotions. Outside shops, the word is used metaphorically to refer to a showcase or selected display of products, services, or achievements, as in "una vetrina delle eccellenze" or "vetrina di design." In museums or exhibitions, display cabinets or vitrines with glass fronts are also called vetrine.

See also: display case, storefront, shop window, showroom, showcase.

This article provides a concise overview of the term vetrina, its primary meaning in Italian, and its broader use as a metaphorical "showcase" in various contexts.