Mabch 9. 1922 



The Florists^ Review 



23 



THE RETAIL STORE 



A PAGE OF HINTS AND HELPS 

 FOR THE RETAIL FLORIST 



CAMPAIGN FOB MOTHERS' DAY. 



Though Mothers' day is two months 

 away, the campaign for business on that 

 day has already been begun, in at least 

 two of its phases. 



A firm which styles itself ' ' creators of 

 advertising specialties" has sent a cir- 

 cular letter to confectioners headed with 

 tlio nuestion, "If $18,000,000 are spent 

 for flowers en Mothers' day, why not 

 for candy?" The letter quotes as a 

 statement of one of the officers of the 

 National Association of Confectioners 

 this sentence, "Every confectioner, 

 whether retailer, jobber or manufac- 

 turer, owes it to the industry to en- 

 courage the campaign — Make Mothers' 

 Day a Candy Day." It asserts that the 

 campaign as an experiment received 

 endorsement last year and adds, "The 

 success of this campaign is already as- 

 sured. From an official source we learn 

 that $18,000,000 is spent annually for 

 flowers on Mothers' day. The biggest 

 drive to overcome the advantages of the 

 florist will be staged by the confection- 

 ers." It further urges that the candy 

 merchant place his order for posters and 

 mottoes at once, because the drive will 

 start early and all confectioners will 

 take part. 



To offset this threat against the flo- 

 rists ' business for Mothers' day appears 

 a knight errant in our behalf in the 

 person of "Uncle Robert." This in- 

 dividual is a New York business man 

 who gained his title in the newspapers 

 by the Christmas parties he gave to 

 poor children at his home. In traveling 

 over the country at the present time lie 

 is interviewing newspaper editors, may- 

 ors, governors and other persons in 

 prominent places, in a campaign to make 

 Alothers' day more universally reeog- 

 iiized. He is urging that all flowers be 

 lield symbolic of Mothers' day and not 

 <arnations alone — something which The 

 Heview and leading florists have urged 

 "juce the holiday was first conceived. 

 ( uele Robert is working for florists and 

 ^vith them. He has broken into print 

 "I the newspapers in a number of cities 

 'ind doubtless will secure still more 

 publicity. 



I'ut even with Uncle Robert's aid, we 

 •^liall have to step lively if we are to 

 '■ope with the candy men's competition 

 'or business the second Sunday in May. 



FLOWERS FOR THE SICK. 



Among the uses for flowers which 

 have been given publicity by the trade 

 in the effort to promote a constant de- 

 mand for flowers throughout the year, 

 that in the sick room has been one of 

 ^he most emphasized. It seems, indeed, 

 ?'H' of the most important as well, to 

 .ludge by the favor which the propa- 

 ganda of the florists in this direction 

 meets. 



Last week, in one of the St. Louis 

 newspapers, appeared three small ad- 

 y^ertisements of the Ayrcs-Tubbesing 

 Slower Co., Fred C. Weber and the Mul- 



lanphy Florists, above and below a 

 space of about four inches in two col- 

 umns, which contained the following in 

 jirominent type. 



There is sonieoiie to remember who now lies 

 sick. 



And to tliis one wliom yon love ii suKSestion 

 of the fragrant ontdoors may work wonders. 



".Say It witli Flower.s." . 



Not a bad way of putting it. Other 

 florists might use the same idea profit- 

 ably. 



MAKING PRICES POPULAR. 



Florists all over the country have 

 noted the demand of the public for 

 lower prices and the most successful 

 members of the trade are seeking to 

 satisfy that demand. It is not possible, 

 of course, to cut the price of expen- 

 sive merchandise to anything like a 

 popular level, but it is possible, cspeci- 



Every Florist 



ha* hit upon idea* 



that have made money 



for him. The spread 



of such ideas through 



the trade make* progre**. 



ps^; 



-l^iBf 



is the medium for spreading those 

 money-making idea.s. Tell the trade 

 about yours. Contributions on any 

 subject relating to the trade are 

 always welcomed by the Editor. 



Tlie way tlioy are written 1« not so 

 Important as the ideas they convey. 

 Write as you woiilil talk. 



ally at tliis time, to offer the public 

 values wliicli are attractivi> because they 

 are reasonable. The customary flood of 

 spring stuff is on its way and there is 

 an abundance of potted bulbous plants 

 at low prices. 



Taking advantage of the situation, 

 the Fleischman Floral Co., whose clien- 

 tele in C'hicago is of the liigliest class, 

 appeale<l to the public demand for popu- 

 larjiriced merchandise by an advertise- 

 ment in the Chicago Tribune, March 2. 

 It occupied about ten and a half inches 

 in two columns and read as-follows: 



"For $2..')0 we will deliver to any ad- 

 dress in Chicago this beautiful pot of 

 growing tuli]5s. They come in rich reds, 

 sunshiny yellows and delicate pinks. Or 

 for the same jirice a pot of growing 

 hyacinths in lavender, pink f)r white. 

 Of course, there is some one you want 

 to make happy and such a gift will 

 make any room cheerful for a week or 

 so. 



"Yet some people think that because 



Fleischman flowers are the very finest 

 they must be expensive." 



GETTING THE MONEY. 



How to get the money is a question 

 of increasing importance to those flo- 

 rists who sell on credit — and who does 

 not? 



M. L. Cohen, of the Jackson Floral 

 Shop, Chicago, uses a form letter which 

 he clicks out on his typewriter on the 

 rainy evenings, as follows: 



Dear Sir: The only thing in the wide world 

 that we can find tlie matter witli business is 

 just this: There is not enough money in cir- 

 culation. 



This condition can be easily remedied. And 

 we'll do our share if you'll do yours. 



If you will send us a remittance of $ 



to balance your account we will immediately see 

 that the amount is kept circulating. Then we 

 will both sleep better for having done our share 

 to place business back on a normal basis. 



"We have had wonderful results from 



this letter," says Mr. Cohen. "Business 



has been good in this section and I am 



looking for a still larger increase in 



flower buying as the prices get within 



reach of everyone. ' ' 



MOUNT VERNON AT LYNCHBURG! 



Washington's birthday the J. J. 

 Fallon Co., of Lynchburg, Va., enter- 

 tained its patrons and many others to 

 a colonial lawn reception at Mount Ver- 

 non, all of which took place in the com- 

 pany's display window. 



The reception proper was well at- 

 tended by a group of miniature French 

 dolls, all of whom were fittingly and 

 prettily robed in appropriate colonial 

 costume. And in their arms they bore 

 lovely colonial corsages, while they 

 bowed and gamboled on a lawn of moss 

 before the Washington mansion on 

 Mount Vernon, which was realistically 

 established on a miniature painting at 

 the rear of the window. 



Here and there on the lawn were other 

 corsages, placed to ajipear to the best 

 advantage. Each doll was illuminated 

 by an electric light and a spotlight was 

 arranged to throw a brilliant flood on 

 the home of Washington. Without 

 doubt these winsome lassies succeeded 

 in "vamping" considerable business 

 into the store. 



GLOECKNER ON THE JOB. 



In January the New York state legis- 

 lature convened at Albany, and at that 

 time William G. Gloeckncr, of Albany, 

 with useful foresight, sent, messages to 

 many florists in the state who do a tele- 

 graph delivery business and reminded 

 them that it was customary to send flow- 

 ers to local representatives at the time 

 of convention. Result f Many of those 

 florists did a big business and Mr. 

 Gloeckner was rewarded for his alert- 

 ness by a great deal of free publicity in 

 the daily press and elsewhere. Now the 

 legislature is about to close and, as 

 Mr. Gloeckner promised at the time of 

 its opening, he has made another big 



