h:\ 



^^f -THE- ^>^ 



BEHIND THE SCENES 

 IN THE FLOWER SHOP 



Much attention is given to artistic and attractive salesrooms in Jloivcr 

 stores. Corresponding consideration sJioidd be given to the arrangement 

 and equipment of the \vorking quarters, which, though hidde)t from cus- 

 tomers' eyes, arc as important to a successful store as the visibh portion. 



-^OKK tlian any other sort 

 (if retail store, tlie flower 

 sli()]i — or more precisely, 

 that part of it where sales 

 ;ire luade-is like a staj^c 

 ready for a theatrical per- 

 forinauce. Tiie s e t t i ii >^ 

 iimst 1)0 attractive anil 

 artistic, to enhance the 

 appeal of those for whicii 

 t i~ :i Imckfiround — actors or flowers. 

 flii- i- no inert' figure of speech; the 

 iMisi ^iici-i'ssful florists ha\'e takiMi {j;reat 

 i.ijiiv :iihl incurreil much ex])ense to 

 luvi- -.Idles that are really beautiful to 

 uvtoimrs ■ eyes. 



ill thi' tlower store, as in a theater, 

 iHi. iIm'I-c is a ])lace where the work 

 V (|(iric OIL wliich the effect of what is 

 n tidiil ile]ieii(ls. The im]iortanc(> of 

 his part, cither of the theater or of tlio 

 liiwir store, is not to he minimized. It 

 ■'(|uiris as )iiucli attention, tliouf^h it 

 s inisicM liy patrons, as the more 

 ■lidw y ]iait. Fii the theater this unseen 

 nitidii is termed ''behind the scenes."' 

 In tciniier davs ''behind the scenes"' 



was a dark, dusty place, filled with 

 roj)es and jnilleys, drojis .and scenery 

 and " ]iro])erties" of all kinds. The 

 advent of modern ideas ;iud appliances, 

 as well as sanitation, chant;ed it to a 

 place no lonj^cr uncomfortable ami 

 f,doomy. 



Likewise a change has been going on 

 in the similar region in the flower slioji. 

 The close, crowiled, untidy room at the 

 rear no longer can serve as oflice, work- 

 room ancl supjdy room for the store with 

 a beautiful salesroom. As progress has 

 been made in one section of the store, 

 it has likewise gone on in the other. 

 Unfortunately, it has gone more slowly 

 ' ' behind the scenes. ' ' 



"Wide "Variation 



To assist in the improvement of this 

 section of the flower store, the descrip- 

 tion of an arrangement that may be 

 termed ideal is scarcely possible. It is 

 not at all feasible without a good deal 

 of elasticity, for no two stores seem 

 to have .iust the same kind of quarters, 

 of just the same size, permitting the 



same sort of arrangement. But it is 

 feasible, and more helpful, to indicate 

 how some of the most successful florists 

 have laid out this part of the store and 

 to point out the considerations which 

 they believed to govern in their method 

 of arrangement. 



It is a general rule that every part of 

 the store sa\e the salesroom should be 

 screened from the public view. The 

 sole excejttion is the cashier's cage, or 

 the cash register if you have not the 

 former. That exception is a matter of 

 necessity and one of wise policy as well, 

 for it is quite proper to keep in cus- 

 tomers' minds the idea that i>aying for 

 the flowers is an important, if not 

 "the" important, part of a sale. 



The oflic(» of the projirietor or man- 

 ager should be in a place where he may 

 have (piiet for thought on problems that 

 demand more concentrated mental at- 

 tention as the business grows. Yet the 

 oftice should be where the guiding sjiirit, 

 be he owner or manager, is accessible 

 npon occasion. There are times Avhen a 

 customer asks special service or wants 



I 



V 



^^^ff^r^irMs 





When Yojr Bjsiness Requires an Office of Tfiis Sort, You May Rank Yourself as a Leading Florist. 



