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Jolt 20, 1911. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



9 



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I THE RETAIL 

 Ic^^^^^ FLORIST 



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ICE-BOXES FOB DISPLAY. 



The good old summer time is when 

 the retail florist does his houseclean- 

 ing, or his rebuilding and refurnishing 

 in anticipation of the busy season that 

 comes with the approach of frost. 

 And, like the housewife, summer is the 

 time the retail florist is interested in 

 ice-boxes, though for a different rea- 

 son. An ice-box is an all-the-year- 

 around necessity in a flower store, but 

 summer is the time when most of the 

 better ones are bought by florists. 

 Every flower store must have a hand- 

 some display case, though it is said by 

 the concern which builds more florists' 

 refrigerators than are sold by any 

 other manufacturer in America that 

 the popular stock size and style sells 

 for only slightly over $100. While it 

 is possible to buy a first-class box from 

 stock, many florists have boxes built 

 to order to fit in with some special 

 need. The illustration shows the dis- 

 play refrigerator in the new store of 

 C. L. Baum, 317 West Clinch street, 

 Knoxville, Tenn. It was built to order 

 by the Memphis Befrigerator & B. S. 

 Co., for icing from a secret door open- 

 ing on an alley, so that the store is 

 free from the muss usually made by 

 this necessary operation. The box is 

 nine feet bigh, four feet deep and ten 

 feet long. The ice chamber will hold 

 1,500 pounds. 



It is interesting to note that the 

 Baums put their ice-box right next to 

 the front window, possibly on the the- 

 ory that the quicker a customer can 

 be served, the better. But a good 

 many florists, noting that practically 

 every customer goes to the display re- 

 frigerator for a look at the flowers, no 

 matter where the refrigerator may 

 stand, have located the box far enough 

 back to draw the customer away from 

 the door — where he can't get out so 

 easily. You know the department store 

 special sale is almost always in the 

 farthest corner of the place; they fig- 

 ure that if they can only get the peo- 

 ple in, it will be the manager's own 

 fault if anyone gets out without buy- 

 ing something. 



STORE FITTING AND REFITTING. 



Ice-box and Wall Cases. 



Having planned the room proper, 

 with its plain, rich finishing, as sug- 

 gested in a previous article, let us pro- 

 ceed to discuss the few fittings which 

 will be necessary to the care of the 

 displays. The ice-box or cooling plant 

 should be finished to correspond with 

 the interior of the store and placed 

 prominently toward the front, but far 

 enough back to leave a good sized open 

 space behind the window for a possible 

 increase of window depth for special 

 decorations and a permanent floor room 

 for plants in vases, etc. 



Adjoining the cooler, but more re- 

 tired, can be the wall cases for rib- 



bons, baskets, ferneries, jardinieres 

 and art accessories. Many people con- 

 sider these cases indispensable, while 

 a few of the more advanced prefer to 

 display the goods only as used with 

 plants and flowers, considering the wall 

 space which the cases would occupy 

 more valuable as a background for the 

 filled plant baskets and the vases with 

 flowers. The extra basket and crock- 

 ery stock can be stored in roomy 

 cases on the wall of the balcony. A 

 ribbon case is the least desirable of 

 all for a salesroom. 



Plain, But Handsome. 



Where such cases are to be provided 

 in the salesroom, let them be plain, 

 as handsome as means will allow, and 

 roomy enough to hold the largest and 

 tallest baskets, with a smaller compart- 

 ment for the little novelties. Have 

 hooks on the under parts of the shelves 



changed frequently according to the 

 kind of flowers to be shown, varying 

 with the seasons, etc. Other fittings 

 should all be movable. 



Among other conveniences are low 

 tables on casters; also plenty of bark 

 pedestals, large and small, some slen- 

 der, some to hold a group of palms and 

 ferns. Have these on casters, too, so 

 that they may be pulled anywhere 

 about the store without unloading. 

 The tables just mentioned should not 

 be over two feet tall. They are con- 

 venient for small blooming plants. 



Cozy Comer and Office. 



No store is complete nowadays with- 

 out a cozy corner or half -screened seat, 

 with a desk, where a salesman may 

 retire with customers and discuss dec- 

 orative plans, look over photos and 

 take orders. Here the surroundings 

 should be suggested by your best taste 

 — a well ordered group of plants, some 

 comfortable seats, a desk, with cards, 

 note paper and envelopes, a clock, a 

 calendar, a vase of dainty flowers, etc. 



A flower shop should resemble 

 neither a parlor nor a store. An ideal 

 one is a cross between a patch of 

 woods and an art gallery. 



The office should be accessible, but 

 not prominent. Those who have busi- 

 ness with the office will look about for 

 it, but what one has for sale must be 

 thrust upon the customers at every 



A Handsome Display Refrigerator is an Estcntial. 



and on the sides for suspending bas- 

 kets. It is prudent to keep all basket 

 stock, except that in actual use, under 

 cover from dust. Fit the store, there- 

 fore, with few cases. Have no floor 

 cases at all. Keep as much floor space 

 as can be used for special displays. 

 Reserve one side wall for demonstra- 

 tions of decorative designs, to be 



available turn, from one end of the 

 salesroom to the other. 



No store should be without a rear or 

 side entrance, for shipping, receiving 

 stock, removing trash, etc. 



One small wrapping counter or table 

 is permissible in the show room for 

 the every-day trade. Let it be con- 

 venient, but retired. 



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