April 28, 1921 



The Rorists^ Review 



29 



THE RETAIL STORE 



A PAGE OF HINTS AND HELPS 

 FOR THE RETAIL FLORIST 



WINDOW ADVERTISING. 



Even Wlien Costly, It Pays. 



"Cost never enters our minds when 

 making a window display," commented 

 R. Clyde Sauer, window decorator for 

 George C. Shaffer, of Washington, D. 

 C. "During the orchid season there 

 was no less than $1,000 worth of those 

 flowers in our window display. It 

 brought lots of trade, but of course it 

 was not always orchids the customers 

 were buying. I just want to bring out 

 the point that window displaying is 

 the finest kind of advertisement and, 

 no matter how costly it is, it always 

 returns proportionate profits. 



"Flowers are acknowledged the most 

 perishable of merchandise, but, withal, 

 the most appealing to all classes at all 

 times. We use our best cut flowers and 

 plants for display, not those on the 

 verge of fading because we know they 

 will die anyway with no opportunity 

 for sale, as many think. I note little 

 street urchins pressing their noses 

 against our windows looking longingly 

 at the flowers, tired men and women 

 hesitating in their homeward journey 

 to view the display, fashionable society 

 stopping machines for a glimpse of 

 nature's beauty, and the hurried busi- 

 ness man compelled to halt a moment. 

 That is the true science of window ad- 

 vertisement — to demand the attention 

 of people in all walks of life." 



Appealing Arrangements. 



Asked as to his procedure of window 

 decorations, Mr. Sauer said: "Some- 

 times I find a symphony of a single 

 color is most appealing, such as the 

 , yellow scheme I had in one of the 

 Easter windows, in which yellow jon- 

 quils, tulips and other flowers of the 

 same color formed the central figures 

 amid canaries in gilded cages. Straw 

 mats, ribbons and stands of the same 

 shade followed out the color scheme. 

 This display told the story of spring 

 and joy. Sometimes the blending of 

 the colors of many flowers or the varie- 

 gated colors of an individual species 

 make an attractive display. I have 

 made a window of simple woodland 

 flowers appealing to the public. No 

 matter what the scheme, it must carry 

 some note of appeal. 



"Uniqueness also lends to the at- 

 tractiveness of a floral display. A 

 daring contrast in flowers or ribbons 

 will call the attention of the passer-by. 

 A. freak of nature or a -flower with un- 

 usual color or the first blossom is an ex- 

 cellent advertisement. Draperies also 

 play an important part in our window 

 displays. We spend thousands of dol- 

 lars on the velours alone that we use. 



Seasonal Displays. 



"Objects, especially those of a sea- 

 sonal nature, should be taken into ac- 

 count. The heart for St. Valentine's 

 day, the cross for the Lenten season, 



the egg and chickens and rabbits for 

 Easter, pumpkins and witches for 

 Halloween, all have a telling value for 

 the florist if he knows how to blend 

 them with his wares. The life of the 

 woods, as birds and small animals, offer 

 assistance. 



"Figures may be used judiciously in 

 seasonal displays. Our display that 

 won the first prize for the best window 

 in the city was that of a wedding pro- 

 cession in the month of June. Tliere 

 were the bride with her shower bouquet, 

 the groom with a flower in his button- 

 hole, the bridesmaids with bouquets, 

 etc. All the figures were kewpies. 

 Shower bouquets and flowers appro- 

 priate for the wedding formed the back- 

 ground of the window scheme. It must 

 be remembered that these flowers had 

 to be changed daily to maintain their 

 freshness. And that is one of the 

 things for which the florist has to be 

 on the constant lookout — the fading' or 

 drooping flower or plant. No other 

 business demands such constant watch 

 or constant change of display, be it in 

 the window, on the counter or in the ice 

 chest. The eye of the admirer or cus- 

 tomer must never be permitted to be 

 jarred by a faded or drooping bloom. 

 That is one of the reasons why a flo- 

 rists' display is costly." W. H. 



HOTEL FLORISTS. 



Eealizing that hotel patrons are the 

 likeliest customers of a flower shop, re- 

 tailers have been quick to locate adja- 

 cent to large hotels of high standing 

 and of late have found a shop within 

 the hotel itself an exceedingly attrac- 

 tive enterprise. Today a census of 

 leading hotels would find a flower shop 

 in the majority of them. In some cases 

 the florist rents a shop in the hotel 



building, just as he would in an ofliee 

 building, retaining his own identity as 

 in any other location. In some cases 

 the florist runs the store as an adjunct 

 to the hotel, either under the hotel 

 name or his own, and works on a com- 

 mission basis, either paying the hotel 

 a fixed percentage of his receipts in lieu 

 of rent, or receiving from the hostelry 

 a percentage of the profits in lieu of 

 salary. Tlien, too, there are cases 

 where the hotel has established a 

 flower shop of its own, paying the man- 

 ager a fixed salary, but these are not 

 so numerous as the other forms of man- 

 agement. 

 "In the Palace hotel, San Francisco, 

 is a flower shop that has been particu- 

 larly successful under its present man- 

 ager, Fred Bertrand, wh« has shown 

 marked ability in catering to the tour- 

 ists who patronize that stoj)|)ing place. 

 Since Mr. Bertrand purchased the 

 flower business in the Palace hotel he 

 has moved the stand to a new location 

 in the lobby, where he has more space 

 and better display facilities than under 

 the old arrangement. The stand itself 

 has been extended and new features 

 have been added, greatly increasing its 

 attractiveness. This flower shop is of 

 white latticework and gives the effect 

 of an artistic conservatory. White 

 wicker baskets, on tall stands, add to 

 the graceful appearance. The illustra- 

 tion on this page gives a view of 

 Mr. Bertrand 's shop as it appeared 

 dressed up for Easter. 



In addition to specializing on baskets 

 and other decorative flower work, Mr. 

 Bertrand carries a line of fresh and 

 dried fruits put up in attractive boxes 

 and packages to appeal to hotel guests 

 and especially to eastern visitors. He 

 is also adding a large showing of favors 

 and novelties. One of the best adver- 



Flower Shop Opening on Lobby of San Francisco Hotel, in Easter Array. 



