408 . COFFEE. 



The French are eminently tasty in the arrangement of their 

 modistes] show-rooms and windows, and dealers in fancy goods, 

 jewelry, etc., also excel in their display and decorations ; all sorts 

 of small packages are put up in the neatest manner, but I do not 

 think the French grocers keep up to the standard established by 

 their brethren in other lines. While there are some handsome 

 grocery-rstores, the majority of them are small, and there is a 

 dingy look and an air of confusion about them whicli does not 

 speak well for their arrangement. The English grocery-stores, or 

 " shops," as they are called, are larger and better arranged ; show- 

 windows are utilized to the fullest extent for display ; coarse and 

 uncleanly goods are kept out of sight, while shelf and all small 

 package goods which have attractive labels, are arranged with a 

 neatness and a precision whicli gives a cheerful look to the whole 

 store. Taken altogether, I believe that English retail grocers are 

 more thoroughly educated and drilled, and know their business 

 better than those of any other country. 



When in London I had an opportunity to inspect the arrange- 

 ment and business system of Messrs. Leverett & Frye, leading 

 retail grocers in London. Beginning with one store at Greenwich, 

 in the suburbs of London, they have steadily increased their 

 business until now they have thirteen, and every new one that 

 is added contains in its arrangement some improvements which 

 experience has suggested. Of those I visited, the most perfectly 

 arranged was I^o. 119 Gloucester road, Kegent's Park, a small 

 corner store, but with every inch of space so well utilized that as 

 full an assortment was kept here as in any of the larger stores. 

 Two large show-windows were most tastefully dressed, one with 

 canned goods and other neatly labelled packages, the other with 

 the bottled wines of Messrs. W. & A. Gilbey, the great wine im- 

 porters of London, for whom Messrs. Leverett & Frye are local 

 agents. Only bottled wines and liquors are kept, thus avoiding 

 the trouble,' waste, and expense of breaking packages. A feature 

 of the window-dressing was different-colored tissue-paper, cut into 

 thin, grassy strips, and these crumpled up and laid as a garnishment 

 between each layer of cans or bottles, gave a very pretty effect of 

 color, and made as much of an improvement in the looks of the 

 windows as a few green sprigs of parsley make in the looks of dishes 



