ROUND THE CORNER 



FROM HIGH RENTS 



Main street, in most cities of this country, is becoming so high-priced a 

 location that many florists are wondering if they would not do as mtich, or 

 possibly more, business on an adjacent street where the sanl(^ rent would 

 afford much larger quarters. Here's one florist's answer. 





the 



THE QUESTION of location 

 for the progressive flower 

 shop in cities of medium 

 size and larger is an acute 

 one because of the rapidly 

 rising rents and land val- 

 ues in the downtown busi- 

 ness districts of all Amer- 

 ican cities. The nature of 

 the flower business makes 

 situation of intense interest to 



those who engage in it, because of the 

 conditions that make this class of busi- 

 ness enterprise different from the aver- 

 age commercial activity in the down- 

 town districts. 



Move to Side Street. 



Can the need for space, the facilities 

 for manufacture and storage, and stock 

 be curtailed profitably for the advan- 

 tage of a cramped location on the main 

 business thoroughfare? This is tlie 

 query that each florist must put to him- 

 self, taking into consideration what a 

 large burden the overhead expense of a 

 large room with such a location means 

 in an enterprise in which the overhead 

 expense is always so vital and predom- 

 inating a factor as in our business. 



Or can business 

 be increased and the 

 overhead expense 

 curtailed by locat- 

 ing the flower shop 

 off the principal 

 business street? One 

 answer to this ques- 

 tion lies in the ex- 

 ample of the Wilson 

 Seed & Floral Co., 

 in Columbus, O. Co- 

 lumbus is a city of 

 approximately 240,- 

 000 people. It has 

 long been known as 

 a one-street town, 

 having a main busi- 

 ness street on which 

 the property values 

 and rents are excep- 

 tionally high in 

 comparison with 

 those in other por- 

 tions of the busi- 

 ness section. 



The Wilson Seed 

 & Floral Co. moved 

 from comparatively 

 small quarters on 

 the leading lane of 

 business, into a re- 

 modeled building a 

 quarter of a block 

 off the main thor- 

 oughfare on a con- 



tributing side street. Thus opportunity 

 was gained for more space, larger stock 

 and increased facilities, besides the 

 added advantage of roomy quarters, at- 

 tractively arranged and decorated, in 

 which the stock is more temptingly and 

 effectively displayed. The change is 

 much to the satisfaction of Henry K. 

 Wilson, president and general manager 

 of the company. 



The present business of this company 

 was started in June, 1909, at 266 High 

 street, Columbus, under the firm name 

 of S. H. Wilson & Son. In 1915, Henry 

 K. Wilson bought the interest of his 

 father, S. H. Wilson, and conducted the 

 concern as the Wilson Seed Store, at 116 

 South High street. Early in 1921 an 

 opportunity presented itself to sell a 

 7-year lease on that location at a good 

 figure, and at the same time Mr. Wilson 

 learned that a 4-story brick building 

 off High street could be purchased at a 

 reasonable figure. 



Securing New Quarters. 



He investigated the latter proposition 

 and became convinced that it was his 

 chance to establish the leading flower 

 shop in Columbus. The lease on his 



Spacious Quarters on Side Street Preferred to Expensive Main Street. 



High street location was sold; the Wil- 

 son Seed & Floral Co. was organized, 

 and the. 4-story brick structure, 24x70 

 feet, at 23 East Town street, a quarter 

 of a block off High street, was pur- 

 chased. Through remodeling, a most at- 

 tractive and convenient flower store was 

 produced, with ample space for all the 

 old, and some new, departments. The 

 two top floors were converted into 

 apartments, income from which absorbs 

 the overhead expense of the building. 



Remodeled, to Suit. 



In the remodeling, the entire front on 

 the ground floor was removed and re- 

 placed with green art tile, while two 

 show windows, each 5x11 feet, were in- 

 stalled, one on each side of the entrance. 

 The green tile was also effectively used 

 in these windows, the appearance of 

 which is greatly enhanced by the buff 

 and green colored draperies. 



An unusual circumstance furnished 

 the space for a sun room and conserva- 

 tory that is one of the features of the 

 store. An ancient deed that had given 

 five feet of ground to the east of the 

 building to the city of Columbus for im- 

 provement purposes was discovered. 

 This deed, unaccept- 

 ed by the city, had 

 reverted to the 

 ])roperty, and the 

 ground thus obtain- 

 ed was used as the 

 site for the sun 

 room, which extends 

 back from the street 

 for thirty-five feet. 

 French windows are 

 on three sides of the 

 room, which is filled 

 with potted plants 

 and aviaries of im- 

 l)orted song birds, 

 A view of the 

 front of the store is 

 shown on this page. 

 The window on the 

 left opens both into 

 the store proper and 

 into the sun room, 

 which is on the east 

 side of the building 

 and which accounts 

 for the offset there 

 in the contour of the 

 structure. The door- 

 way on the right 

 leads to the offices 

 of the company on 

 the second floor and 

 to the apartments 

 on the third and 

 fourth floors. An 



