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May 16, 1012. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



15 



MEMORIAL DAY; x 

 IT'S OPPORTUNITIES 



C 



A MEMOBIAL DAT LEADER. 



Opportunity Is Knocking Now. 



Given a few baskets of the now 

 omnipresent magnolia leaves, a few cut 

 flowers, it matters little what, perhaps 

 a little ribbon and chiffon, a stock of 

 wire frames, moss and foil, any florist 

 who is where the people can get to him 

 can play up a Memorial day leader that 

 will not only make a good profit itself 

 but which will pull a lot of other trade 

 and prove of lasting advertising value. 



The popular priced wreath for Memo- 

 rial day is $2.50. Some feature it at 

 $2, but better get the extra 50 cents. 

 You will sell practically as many and 

 you can do enough better work to make 

 it worth while, for it's a truism that 

 "quality is remembered long after 

 pricQ is forgotten. ' ' You only do your- 

 self harm by pushing a leader that isn 't 

 good enough to give satisfaction. 



People Want Made Up Stock. 



One of the handicaps on Memorial 

 day business was that people did not 

 know what to do with loose cut flow- 

 ers when they had reached the ceme- 

 tery with them — it wasn't satisfying 

 merely to leave them on a grave. The 

 spiked vase helped some — even a great 

 deal — for since it came into use the 

 number of cemetery bouquets sold by 

 the average florist has increased many 

 fold. But what the people really like 

 to buy for May 30 is a spray or a 

 wreath. All that needs be done in the 

 average well-to-do community is to 

 let the flower buyers know that^ Me- 

 morial day design may be had at small 

 cost and the demand will keep all 

 hands on the jump. 



The spray is a little more difficult 

 proposition — it can not be made in 

 advance in quantity. The wreath's 

 the thing. Make it of the prepared 

 magnolia leaves and any number can 

 be made up at leisure, ready for trim- 

 ming just before delivery. There is 

 record of one florist who sold over 

 600 last year — made them in advance, 

 trimmed them during the night of May 

 29 and delivered them in the morning. 

 A few days ago he ordered 200 baskets 

 of magnolia leaves, green and brown, 

 to do the stunt over again. 



Advertising Is Important. 



While preparation for the demand is 

 important, there is no use whatever 

 getting ready for the call if nothing is 

 done to make certain that there is a 

 call. The advertising is the basis for 

 the whole thing and therefore just as 

 essential as preparing the stock. 

 - The florist best able to work up the 

 Memorial day wreath business is the 

 one whose- downtown store is on the 

 main street, where he is accessible to 

 practically the whole city. He can use 

 the daily newspapers to best advantage. 

 The copy should be written with care 

 —there is more in planning the adver- 



tisement than most florists realize. It 

 is not possible to tell what an adver- 

 tisement should say unless one has a 

 full knowledge of all the conditions. 

 Even then it isn't easy, but it never- 

 theless is possible to put words together 

 in such a fashion that a large per- 

 centage of the people who read them 

 will follow the suggestion the adver- 



tisement carries. People who read 

 them — ^note that. After having got 

 your selling points into shape on paper 

 you must see to it that they are so 

 {)rinted as to be read. In some papers 

 display is more important than in 

 others — it largely depends on whether 

 or not the readers of the paper have 

 been educated to read the advertise- 



Memorial Day Wreaths 



Tuesday next is "Decoration Day" and millions of floral tributes 

 will be placed on the graves of loved ones who have gone before. 

 With this great day of homage in mind, Penn's famous floral 

 designers have produced the most beautiful ''Memorial Day 

 Wreaths" one could wish for. 



I 



Genuine Southern Mag- 

 nolia leaves and waxed 

 natural roses and ferns. 



SPECIAL PRICE 



2.50 



The illustration is made 

 direct from a pljoto- 

 graph of this beautiful 

 tribute. 



These wreaths will retain their original beauty for two or three months 



MAIL ORDERS 



Accompanied with cash or P. O. Order will be given 

 special attention. We will ship prepaid to any ad- 

 dress in New England. 



Phones: 

 "Fort HUl 

 636 and 639'* 



43 



BRONFIELD 



STREET 



--/ 



How a Boston Retailer Advertised a Leader Last Memorial Day. 



