June 21, 1917. 



The Florists^ Review 



11 



WHAT HAPPENED IN CANADA. 



No Need for Worry. 



"We think that in the United States, 

 judging from the experience of the 

 florists in Canada, you will have little 

 need to worry in regard to business in 

 the florists' line." 



Thus does George M. Geraghty, man- 

 ager of Dunlop's, Toronto, Ont., sum- 

 marize his opinion of what will be the 

 effect of the war on the florists' busi- 

 ness in the United States. 



Canadian florists have been facing 

 war conditions for nearly three years. 

 So that American florists could get a 

 line on what may happen to their busi- 

 nesses while the United States is at 

 war, The Eeview asked prominent re- 

 tailers in the neighboring country to 

 write of their experiences since August 

 4, 1914, the date Great Britain entered 

 the conflict, for the benefit of their 

 brothers in tlie trade across the border. 



The declaration of war nearly three 

 years ago was sudden and its effect 

 on business in those countries involved 

 was great. Time, however, brouglit 

 readjustment to meet the conditions. 

 Thus, when the United States entered 

 the conflict, the action of this country 

 brought little change for the simple 

 reason that business was used to it 

 and knew the war would not have tlie 

 disastrous effect that was expected 

 three years ago. 



Panic When War Started. 



The panic which the Canadian mem- 

 bers of the trade experienced at the 

 outset of the war did not hit the florists 

 in the United States. Neither will it. 

 There are bound to be some readjust- 

 ments, but on the whole, judging from 

 the experience of the Canadian florists, 

 business will continue as before Aj)ril 

 6 of the present year. 



The history of the war's effects in 

 Canada, as told by members of the 

 trade there, follows: 



' ' After the declaration of war, the 

 florists' business throughout the coun- 

 try was seized with severe panic, on 

 the theory that everything was going 

 to the dogs. Help in all lines was laid 

 off and those retained had their wages 

 cut anywhere from ten to thirty per 

 cent, people thinking that business 

 would cease entirely. A scheme of 

 retrenchment set in that, for a month 

 or two, practically paralyzed the busi- 

 ness. However, things soon took a 

 turn for the better; wages were re- 

 stored, and business, considering all 

 things, looked promising. 



Big Call for Hospitals. 



"As a great number of wealthy 

 people, and tliat means the flower 

 buyers, sent their sons, brothers and 

 husbands to the war, there arose a feel- 

 ing against anything that would seem 

 to be of too much gayety and, there- 

 fore, the florists suffered. Dinners and 

 receptions were cut off and it left only 

 the individual and hospital, not to 

 mention funeral orders, to help the 

 florist out. 



' ' Where a few people used to send 

 to the hospitals, it is now quite the 

 thing, especially as almost everybody, 

 who is in the least indisposed and who 

 can afford it, immediately goes to a 

 private hospital and friends respond 

 by sending quantities of flowers. 



"Again, owing to the large number 

 of casualties in hospitals in France and 

 England and through our extensive ad- 

 vertising of the fact that we can have 

 flowers sent to these hospitals by our 

 foreign correspondents, we have con- 

 siderable of this work to attend to. 



"In the matter of funerals, people 

 are sending more flowers than formerly. 

 There is plenty of money in Canada at 

 the present time, and it is in this way 

 that • the people are expressing them- 

 selves. 



More Funeral Orders. 



' ' In the matter of weddings, these 

 are carried out quietly and few of 

 tliem have any elaborate decoration. 

 Tlie bouquets themselves and the at- 

 tendants' flowers are just as elaborate 

 as ever. 



"We think that in the United 

 States, judging from the experience of 

 the florists in Canada, you will liave 

 little need to worry in regard to l)usi- 

 ness in the florists' line. 



"It is, of coiirse, known that every- 

 thing has gone up in ])rice with the 

 exception of flowers, but, so far as we 

 are concerned, we think it inadvisable 

 to j)lace flowers at too high a price, 

 as it would tend to frighten the pros- 

 pective buyer and the money would 

 then be sjient for fruit, books or candy. 



"The war will not last forever, and 

 it is well to keep one's customers 

 and have them satisfied. This, we can 

 safely say uj) to the present time, we 

 liave done, although it has been at a 

 cost of profit.'' — George M. (ieraghty, 

 manager, l)unloj)'s, Toronto, Ont. 



"War was declared August 4, 1014, 



and at that time business was, so to 

 speak, booming. The first part of the 

 year was the best we had ever had. 

 JBy October sales began to drop off and 

 continued to do so until the spring of 

 1915, when they picked up to about 

 eighty per cent of normal. In 1916 

 sales again improved, but during the 

 winter and spring of 1917 business has 

 shown a decided falling off. The fall- 

 ing off in sales is not the worst feature. 

 The cost of production and selling cost 

 have so increased without a corre- 

 sponding increase in selling price that 

 profits for the time are eliminated. 



Training Camps Bring Business. 



"An indication that we were more 

 favorably situated than in some other 

 cities and towns is shown by the fall- 

 ing off in business since the large num- 

 ber of troops, from 5,000 to 12,000, 

 which were in training here during 

 1915 and 1916, have gone overseas. 

 Both officers and men were liberal 

 buyers of flowers and, since their 

 departure, the decrease in demand for 

 the better quality is noticeable. 



' ' The demand for funeral work has 

 not diminished to any extent, while 

 that for weddings is almost a thing of 

 the past. The wealthy people, who 

 before the war were regular buyers of 

 flowers, now seldom indulge. On the 

 other hand, munition workers and 

 others, who are earning a good wage, 

 have become the flower buyers. But 

 with them it is not a matter of quality 

 so much as price. Therefore we found 

 it necessary to change our methods of 

 merchandising." — J. G. Gamnuoge, 

 secretary-treasurer, J. Gammage & 

 Sons, Limited, London, Out. 



It will he understood from these 

 letters that the uses to which flowers 

 are put in Canada have been consid- 

 erably changed, but business is good. 

 Florists in the Ignited States need have 

 little fear of the war's effect on their 

 business. 



THIS DISPLAY SOLD ITSELF. 



A tinielv and striking patriotic win- 

 ildvv of tile .1. W. Stokes Floral Co., 

 Sj)riiigfield, Mo., created such an im- 

 j)ressi()n that the entire display was sold 

 the second dav after it had been in- 



Patriotic Window that Was Winner for J. W. Stokes Floral Co., Springfield, Mo. 



