26 



The Rorists' Review 



Mabch 10. 1021. 



Lilac in Its Easter Dress. 



siR-iH'sst'ul holidays the trade has just 

 put behind it. It is there, if the retailer 

 will go and get it. It can be got; it has 

 been got; and it will be got, by the 

 same men who liave made banner sales 

 already in 1921. 



1921 WUl Reward Fighters. 



Price influences demand. Trices this 

 year are lower than they were last year. 

 The effect will certainly not be detrimen- 

 tal to good business. It is another reason 

 to hope for bigger and better business. 

 The margin of profit to the retailer and 

 grower may be .a trifle less than last 

 year's, but this will be more than made 

 up if the sales exceed last year's in the 

 same proportion that they did at Christ- 

 mas and New Year's. 



Supply this year is something which 

 cannot be determined until the actual 

 week of the holiday, but in most mar- 

 kets all indications are for a large sup- 

 ply of pl.nnts. These are the big sellers 

 at Easter. Cut flowers, so far, have 

 shown no signs of poor Easter crops. 



The one universal grievance of "tight 

 money'' seems to have less influence on 

 florists than upon other businesses. In 

 spite of this situation, splendid holiday 

 sales have been achieved so far in 1921, 

 and why should the coming one be any 

 exception to a rule so established f More- 

 over, spring always brings a period of 

 l)rosperity and already a number of 

 factories are going into operation again 

 and the situation is said to be clearing. 



There do not seem to be any well 

 foumied grounds for pessimism. The 

 only difference between 1921 and 1920 

 is one of method. Last year the re- 

 tailers were order-takers. This year 

 they must be salesmen in order to gain 

 their goal. What could be more appro- 

 priate as a motto for florists than the 

 slogan adopted this year by commercial 

 institutiojis country-wide, "1921 Will 

 Reward Fighters"? 



aBT READY FOR EASTBR. 



Brief Hints of Big Helps. 



Use system. 



Sepajirt'e order department ^roni sales 

 depai-tnient. 



Lot -^ exjjerienced employee?!' oversee 

 untrained help. 



Arrange articles needed in getting out 

 orders conveniently at hand. 



Sort orders to economize "delivery 

 trips. 



Keep tab on stock on hand. : 



Watch the green goods. v^ 



Separate varieties and colors of 

 blooming plants. 



Send in your orders for stock and sup- 

 plies early. 



Mark prices on all stock. 



Allow only experienced employees to 

 handle cut flowers. - 



Hire enough help, but good help. 



Restrict waste. 



Wrap plants carefully if weather re- 

 ((uires'. 



Verify addresses on all packages for 

 delivery. 



Use more advertising space than you 

 did last year, to counteract current con- 

 ditions. 



Wrap lilies the day before and mark 

 number of flowers on outside. 



Tie on labels so that handling is not 

 necessary in order to read them. 



Plan advertising early. 



Dress the window in its Easter array 

 next week. 



Get as many orders as you can in ad 

 vance. 



Divide responsibility so you will not 

 have to be everywhere. 



Do all you can to get buyers into your 

 store. 



Push hard! 



Get readv now! 



EASTER ADVERTISINa. 



Printers' Ink a Necessity. 



The feeling in the retail trade is gen- 

 eral that this Easter is going to be a 

 good one — for those who make it so. 

 The difference from last year 's active 

 demand is well known and appreciated 

 in every part of the United States. The 

 only question is how to make it a good 

 Easter. 



Of course, it is not different from any 

 other problem for disposing of stock. 

 There are two ways which instantly 

 recommend themselves to the practical 

 mind of the florist. One is advertising 

 by means of printers' ink and the other 

 is by window display. Advertising is a 

 big word; bigger than it looks. More- 

 over, it has been gone into and ex- 

 I)lored "t<i^the last roots; books have 

 been writtrtv about it by the hundred, 

 and, altogether, the various ways of 

 advertising ar^ well known in the trade. 



But old as is advertising, the law of 

 supply and demand is older. If the 

 trade is going to have large stocks on 

 hand for Easter, florists must get busy 

 and create a demand. The demand is 

 there, but it has to be dragged in, in- 

 stead of being let in. Easter is one 

 holiday when newspaper advertising, to 

 mention one form, brings results. 

 Plants are appropriate for Easter day. 

 Everyone realizes this fact. But unle.ss 

 the public is regularly reminded what 

 is to be had, it is sure to forget to buy. 



Drop in Prices. 



The idea to impress on the public is 

 that plants are cheaper than last year, 



by a considerable percentage. That one 

 idea alone, if impressed on the buying 

 public in a convincing manner, would 

 probably interest enough demand to 

 make Easter of 1921 equal in total sales 

 the record of last year. 



But it is one thing tp realize that a 

 little advertising will go '& long way 

 and it is quite another thing to get the 

 point that the public has forgotten all 

 about last Easter long ago and has to 

 be told about it all over again. If you 

 can tell about it in a different way you 

 stand to make more impression than by 

 using the old methods, because people 

 are always looking out for something 

 new. 



This year, of all years, is going to be 

 the one time when advertising' is more 

 than a benefit. It is a necessity. Com- 

 petitive advertising in all trades is ex- 

 pected- as a matter of course, but this 

 year will see competition keener than 

 ever. 



The need is apparent; the means are 

 at hand. Florists everywhere are mak- 

 ing plans for big Easter business. With 

 such a spirit prevailing, there is no 

 doubt as to the outcome. Advertising 

 ideas that have proved successful in the 

 past will be the ones to use this Easter. 

 Only one thing need be emphasized here 

 — the necessity for strong advertising 

 effort. 



USE THE WINDOW. 



Flowers Advertise Themselves. 



If you could get something for noth- 

 ing, would you take it? It sounds self- 

 evident, but, nevertheless, many re- 

 tailers are failing to do so today. Ad- 

 vertising in newspapers, by circulars or 

 by posters costs money, much money. 

 If you could get advertising for noth- 

 ing, provided it was effective, wouldn't 

 that be an advantage? 



No words ever written on paper or 

 ever conceived by man could convey to 

 the prospective customer the value, use- 

 fulness and beauty of flowers and plants 



Pleasingly Trained Dorothy Perkins. 



