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PUTTING A PUNCH IN 



AUTUMN WINDOWS 



Retailers of all classes of merchandise have their autumn openings, 

 f(»t#» thereby formally announcing that a new season is here, and shozving what AsJU*H 



Vjil^Sr they have of special interest to the public. A neiv season for florists is >SSlJ{^ 



here and it is time for floiver stores to do something to drazv attention. 



OW that "the frost is on 

 the pumpkin and the corn 

 is in the shock, ' ' the florist 

 takes the place of summer 

 as Nature's assistant in 

 growing and supplying 

 flowers. By an increase in 

 business, florists' stores al- 

 ready have felt the effects 

 of the arrival of the au- 

 tumn season, and are planning the open- 

 ing which announces that the time to 

 buy flowers has arrived. Merchandis- 

 ing concerns of all kinds have had their 

 openings, or are doing so, and the flo- 

 rist feels that he, too, should let his pa- 

 trons and the public in general know 

 that they can continue to have the 

 flowers that made the home bright all 

 summer. 



While sales of flowers have increased, 

 the full flood of busi- 

 ness does not come un- 

 til frost has killed out- 

 door vegetation. The 

 reason for stating this 

 fact, which is so well 

 known to all florists, is 

 to emphasize the' de- 

 sirability of postpon- 

 ing the opening until 

 late October or Novem- 

 ber, Then stock is in 

 better variety, and the 

 quality is superior to 

 what it was earlier in 

 the season. And what 

 is the most important, 

 the public is in a buy- 

 ing mood. The appe- 

 tite has been whetted 

 by absence of flowers. 



How to Do It. 



public always associates the chrysanthe- 

 mum with autumn. 



Undoubtedly, the spirit of the times 

 will be reflected in many show windows 

 this autumn. Already some retailers 

 have installed windows in which pa- 

 triotism is the predominant feature. 

 Miss Columbia, garbed in flowers, and 

 the flag made of red, white and blue 

 blooms, flower guns and swords and the 

 other trappings of wartime will be 

 used as means of attracting the atten- 

 tion of the public to flower stores. 



Put a "Punch" in the Window. 



All are good and make attractive dis- 

 plays. But such windows do not allow 

 of appeals for sales. They are pretty 

 and attract much attention, but there is 

 no* "punch" there. The "punch" can 

 be put in, but there is liable to be the 



To make an opening 

 a success, several 

 moves are necessary. 

 There are the decora- 

 tion of the show win- 

 dow and the store, and 

 advertising, both in 

 newspapers and direct. 

 All should be so timed 

 as to have the former 

 ready when the latter 

 begins to make its ap- 

 peal and brings the 

 people into the store. 



Autumn windows 

 give the decorator 

 plenty of opportunity 

 to make artistic dis- 

 plays. That showiest 

 of autumn flowers, the 

 chrysanthemum, is at 

 its best, and can be 

 used effectively, as the 



Columbia and the Star-Spaogled Banner in a Florist's Window. 



criticism that sacred sentiment is being 

 commercialized. 



Window displays are designed just as 

 much to sell flowers as to attract atten- 

 tion to flowers. Of course, the attention 

 must first be attracted before a sale can 

 be made, but the mere halting of a per- 

 son before a window where he pauses, 

 and gazing, remarks, "What a pretty 

 picture!" does not put any money in 

 the cash register. There should be the 

 suggestion that flowers make the home 

 brighter, thereby bringing the idea of 

 purchasing into the mind of the be- 

 holder. 



As has before been recorded in The 

 Review, the effect of war in other coun- 

 tries has not been to lessen the sale of 

 flowers, but to change the character of 

 the people who do the buying. This 

 new class of flower buyers is the so- 

 called middle class, 

 which is handling and, 

 in consequence, spend- 

 ing more money than 

 ever before. To at- 

 tract this class, depart- 

 ment store methods of 

 displaying prices would 

 prove effective. The 

 person who does not 

 habitually buy flowers, 

 ofttimes would look at 

 the display and wish to 

 ])ossess some of the 

 blooms, but would not 

 go into the store be- 

 cause of the belief that 

 flowers are so high in 

 ])rice that they are be- 

 yond the reach of his 

 ])Ocketbook. 



The Reason Why. 



The " reason-why ' ' 

 window is the latest 

 development in special- 

 ty store advertising. 

 This is a displav that 

 impresses the person 

 who sees it with the 

 reason why he should 

 purchase the article 

 displayed. This has 

 proved most effective, 

 according to the ex- 

 jierts who keep a close 

 tab on results from 

 given experiments. 



There is a reason 

 why persons should 

 buy flowers. And the 

 principal reason is that 

 what the florist has to 

 sell adds to the beauty 

 of the home and the 

 joys of life. Visualiz- 



