The Florists' Review 



Mabch 12, 1914. 



RETAIL STORE MANAGEMENT 



WHAT THE LEADERS IN THE TRADE ARE DOING 



BASKETS AND FLOWERS. 



One of the new ways of retailing 

 cut flowers is to sell baskets and blooms 

 together, usually with a window dis- 

 play and some newspaper advertising 

 to let the public know about it. 



There has been a wonderful increase 

 of late in the use of baskets, both for 

 plants and cut flowers, and it has been 

 found possible to sell large numbers of 

 small, inexpensive arrangements such 

 as are made by putting from twelve to 

 eighteen Killarneys in a small willow 

 basket stained any appropriate color. 

 Some retailers have found it possible 

 to sell such baskets of roses by the 

 hundred within the limits of a special 

 sale. Of course, it is not enough to 

 procure the baskets and the roses — 

 some push must be put into the selling 

 end. If the baskets are shown in the 

 store some of those who enter will buy 

 them, but it will be only those who 

 came to procure flowers and will mean 

 no extra business. If the window is 

 decorated with the baskets the sale 

 will attract some of those who pass by, 

 but to get the full benefit of such an 

 undertaking one must advertise. There 

 are various ways for a florist to adver- 

 tise a special sale, whether it be baskets 

 of flowers or anything else, but the 

 way that gets the quickest action is 

 to use the newspaper — the one read by 

 the right kind of people, and the most 

 of them. Some retailers, favorably lo- 

 cated to handle the business, have be- 

 gun with small, inexpensive but care- 

 fully planned ads of special sales and 

 have been able to build them up to the 

 point where, after years of develop- 

 ment, it now pays them to run an occa- 

 sional sale that is big enough to stand 

 some full page ads. 



When a retailer caters to a neighbor- 

 hood trade a good way of running a 

 sale of baskets of cut flowers — one day 

 roses, another day sweet peas, etc. — is 

 to send out a neatly printed mailing 

 card; or such an announcement can be 

 enclosed in the monthly bills. What-, 

 ever is done, the window and store 

 should be used to display the advertised 

 stock and in every case the stock sold 

 should keep faith with the people. It 

 does not pay to make a special offer 

 that does not give satisfaction, but it 

 does pay to run specials that are good 

 enough to bring the buyers back. Those 

 who are using the plan most success- 

 fully today say that at first they met 

 with no great success, but that each 

 special offer was excellent value and 

 that, as time went on, it was found 

 that the same people bought time after 

 time, the sales growing until important 

 proportions were reached. 



F. T. D. AFTEE THE PUBLIC. 



Plans are being made by the McNeff- 

 Swenson Co., of Chicago, to furnish one 

 million posterettes, to be used by the 

 Florists' Telegraph Delivery in adver- 

 tising that organization. The member- 

 ship is growing rapidly and every effort 



is being made to place the opportunity 

 offered before the public in general. The 

 design of the small poster has been 

 closely copied from the large poster and 

 is pronounced by all who have seen it 

 as an excellent feature for the Florists' 

 Telegraph Delivery. 



IF THE FLORISTS SPOKE. 



There has recently been some discus- 

 sion in your columns on the merits of 

 American horticulture as compared with 

 European horticulture, in which I en- 

 deavored to uphold our developing su- 

 periority in that direction as compared 

 with it abroad. There is, however, an 



Special 

 For this Week 



Rose 



Baskets 



Arranged with I| dozen 



Killarney Roses 



Container to hold water 



$2.00 Each 



2134 Michigan Blvd. 



Phones, Calamet 1600 1601 



Boosting the Basket Sales. 



existing condition in this country to 

 which I want to direct attention, that 

 I will not defend, nor is it upheld by 

 anyone possessing the slightest appre- 

 ciation of living flowers and plants. 



I refer to what has become a fashion 

 among a class of "well dressers," who 

 indulge in the substitution of the arti- 

 ficial for the real. Imitation jewelry is 

 rightly regarded as suited ottly for the 

 vulgar and so, may I ask, should a per- 

 son adorn himself with artificial flow- 

 ers be regarded as any more genteel 

 than those who parade with cheap 

 "jewels"! Artificial flowers or plants 

 may serve their purpose as decorations 

 for gaudy displays, but they should 

 never be found on the person or in the 

 home, or elsewhere, where people of re- 

 fined sensibility congregate. 



In one of the leading churches of 

 New York city the ushers wear artificial 

 flowers; this habit in all probability 

 may be found to be the case in other 

 churches. Flowers were among the first 

 of God 's creations and through the ages 

 they have served to cheer the heart 

 and lessen the sorrow of mankind, but 

 today, where we should seek to find 

 sham eliminated and the real mani- 

 fested, we find the finest of all of the 

 Creator's handiwork imitated. 



Thoughtlessness is undoubtedly in 

 many instances the chief cause of the 

 adoption of what may be termed this 

 false custom, although economy is the 

 plea of many of the offenders. Manu- 

 facturers have not missed their oppor- 

 tunity to exploit the "advantages" of 

 artificial flowers and their "everlast- 

 ing" qualities, etc., and they have been 

 si^ccessful in creating a fad for them. 

 But where are our florists t If they 

 spoke directly and forcefully they could 

 soon put to ridicule the practice of sub- 

 stituting artificial, or imitation, for the 

 real flowers. — New York Times. 



FLORISTS' STATIONERY. 



Besides being a skillful florist, J. F. 

 Sked, of Westerville, O., also is some- 

 thing of an artist with the pen, and has 

 an outfit of stationery, tags, address 

 labels, card envelopes, etc., all carrying 

 a nameplate of his own designing, fully 

 as good as the average professional job. 



"I think I am well repaid for the ex- 

 pense," said Mr. Sked. "There is noth- 

 ing that adds to a business as does a 

 distinct tag, letterhead or a typewritten 

 letter that can be READ. Some of the 

 orders I receive are hard to decipher. 

 I shall use this design as my trade-mark 

 on all packages. I have a larger card, 

 too, to put on heavy shipments, which 

 is printed with instructions to express 

 agents in case of non-delivery. The ex- 

 press companies now require the name 

 of the shipper on all packages. Another 

 thing that adds to one's business is 

 proper packing and getting the order 

 out as soon as possible. I always send 

 a postal in answer to an order and tell 

 the exact date the shipment will go for- 

 ward. It pays. I now have two orders 

 out with which I sent the cash over 



