

July IS, 1911. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



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i THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



1 



STORE FITTING AND BEFITTINa. 



An Average Store. 



We are not speaking in this connec- 

 tion of the most expensively fitted 

 stores, -with marble finishing and other 

 special features created for an occa- 

 sional splendid place. Neither are we 

 speaking of the smallest and cheapest 

 stores, but of a good, average shop in 

 an average city, as stores of this class 

 handle the bulk of the trade and their 

 output sets the standard of work. 



In selecting a store room, one which 

 has a front room space about twice 

 as long as wide is as well proportioned 

 as can usually be found. Its width will 

 not appear cramped and the length will 

 lend a retreating depth to a fair dis- 

 tance. Having planned for a wall and 

 woodwork finish which includes not a 

 decorated wall, but a neutral back- 

 ground for decorations, let us look to 

 the other features — the entrance, the 

 window, the up and down stairs, the 

 office space, the partition and the per- 

 manent cases. 



Entrance and Show Window. 



The entrance and the window form a 

 good half of the attractiveness or unat- 

 tractiveness of the store. In the greater 

 percentage of cases the error is made 

 of having the entrance in the center 

 and a window on each side. Frequently 

 these windows are too narrow for any 

 effective display. Have every available 

 foot of floor space in the one window, 

 ^vith the entrance, on one or both sides, 

 flush with the back of the window or 

 what would correspond with the back 

 of the window. With the entrance set 

 back you have additional window space 

 thrown open to the street, and also a 

 more inviting entry. Glass to the floor, 

 in window and door, is now a necessity 

 in tasteful store fronts. In other words, 

 throw your whole store open to view 

 from the street. No more window sills 

 or seats or shelves. 



A good front on a poor building is 

 better than a common entrance to a 

 well constructed building. These im- 

 provements not only make a more spa- 

 cious and accessible window, but a more 

 spacious store; and a deep or shallow 

 space may be used for the window dis- 

 play, as occasion requires or whim de- 

 mands. 



The Window Floor — or Floors. 



If possible have two floors for the 

 window — one of cement below, with 

 water supply and drainage, for water 

 scenes and for convenience in spraying 

 and watering plants, washing the glass, 

 etc. Plants may be massed in here and 

 no pots will show. The upper floor may 

 be made in sections and easily removed 

 and replaced over the cement floor. The 

 upper floor should bring the window dis- 

 play on a level with the lower edge 

 of the glass. 



The only permanent feature in the 

 way of a window accessory should be 



the mirror, in case one side of the win- 

 dow is against a wall. 



Various schemes have been used for 

 the top of the window, but none have 

 proven entirely satisfactory. Each 

 change in the window display should, 

 as a general rule, have its own top 

 decoration, although the same one may 

 often be carried through several dec- 

 orations. 



Stairway and Balcony. 



Another permanent feature that 

 should be carefully planned is the stair- 

 way or stairways.) A cellar entrance, 

 instead of being hidden, ought to be 

 made an attractive feature. If a bal- 

 cony can be built, it will be found 

 many times worth its cost in the added 

 storage capacity which it will afford, 

 besides its value as a background for 

 decorations. There is scarcely a home 

 that is to be decorated where an open 

 stairway does not present itself, tempt- 

 ing your imagination to employ its best 

 efforts. A stairway, then, in the store 

 can be kept decorated and will serve as 

 a demonstration for customers; the same 

 use, also, can be made of the balcony 

 railing. An extension of the design of 



A Separate Workroom. 



Taking into consideration the adver- 

 tising advantages gained by doing the 

 making up where customers may see 

 it, over against the appearance of a 

 place where such work is done, it seems 

 the part of better judgment to have 

 a separate workroom. It is true that 

 work in process of making up is some- 

 thing of an attraction to customers, 

 but it is also true that pieces exhibited 

 in a half finished state are shown to a 

 disadvantage, and th^ consequent litter 

 detracts from the general appearance 

 to a greater extent than the advertising 

 is helpful. 



The discussion of this subject will be 

 continued in a future issue of the paper. 

 G. B. 



FLOWER STORE EQUIPMENT. 



With increased use of accessories, 

 such as ribbons, baskets, jardinieres, 

 corsage shields and pins, a change in 

 flower store fixtures becomes necessary. 

 The store of yesterday had bare walls, 

 save for the space occupied by ice- 

 box and mirrors. The store of today 

 has wall cases for ribbons and other 

 requisites, and the store of tomorrow 

 doubtless will contain still better pro- 

 vision for their display. Indeed, al- 

 ready in a few flower shops flowers are 

 not the only things sold at a profit. 

 One Chicago florist has fitted up the 

 rooms a^ove his store for the display 

 of the dishes that so assist the sale 

 of plants, and another has used the 

 store adjoining, furnishing it attract- 

 ively ana stocking it with articles in 

 china, pottery and cut glass that ap- 

 peal so strongly to people with cul- 



Display Cases For the Florists' Supplies. 



the stairway and balcony railing may 

 be used as a raihng for the cellar way. 

 If the stairway affords it, arrange a 

 cozy corner and customers' desk under 

 the balcony or landing. As a rule, the 

 stairway should not occupy a prominent 

 place in the front of the store. It 

 should present a side rather than a front 

 view to the entrance. 



tured taste and obese pocketbooks. In 

 Boston, more than one flower store id 

 really a setting for the attractive dis- 

 play of Italian pottery — and those who 

 add these lines to flower selling seem 

 to add to them year by year. 



The average flower store will for 

 now be content with a moderate stock, 

 such articles as may be sold with 



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