Business screen magazine (1938)

HOW TO USE MOTION PICTURES IN THE DEPARTMENT STORE A Film Survey of Chicago Department Stores "HOW DO YOU use motion pictures in your store? What significance do you attach to iilm presentations? What direct — or indirect — results have you observed?" These questions were asked of Chicago department store officials to determine the extent and practicability of motion pictures in department store merchandising. The five department stores selected for the survey were: Marshall Field and Co., Carson, Pirie Scott and Co., Mandel Brothers, The Fair, and Goldblatt Brothers — stores which form a fairly representative group — whose utilization of films extended over periods of time sufficient to justify authentic opinions. The survey offers some interesting data on both the qualifications and limitations of department store movie setups. Officials were frank to admit that efforts in many cases have been pioneering ventures. But they were emphatic in declaring that motion pictures have definitely proven their ability to sell department store merchandise and services. * It is interesting to note the double task assigned to movies, as reflected in the Chicago survey. Said one official, "We consider the job of movies is to sell goods — make no mistake about that! But we consider it just as important to sell our salespeople on the merits and advantages of certain products, as to sell the actual purchaser". In this significant statement we find a keynote of the department store movie sales program. Motion pictures, supplied by alert manufacturers, associations, bureaus, and by the stores themselves, are used for the purpose of training employees. Movies, aptly co-ordinated with special department drives, direct mail appeals, general advertising . . . stimulate customer purchases. Thus, a program involving the important job of "backstage selling" is co-ordinated with consumer-prospect appeals — which are being worked out with varying degrees of showmanship. Carson, Pirie Scott & Company Sponsor Own Sales Films *■ About a year ago, Carson Pirie department officials decided to test the value of a storemade movie. A simple 16mm. film was "produced". The subject — "How to Bathe An Infant"! Filmed by a salesman, the film was hardly comparable to some of the craftsmanlike jobs usually seen, but it proved interesting to large audiences of mothers. The store's graduate nurse supplied the "sound track" in her lecture which accompanied the film. Sales of infants' wear went up. The film made a real hit. A second film was soon completed, showing proper methods of preparing a baby's feeding formulas. It proved even more successful than the first. The Baby Department, at least, was well on its way to stardom! There followed a number of films for parents. Such subjects as: Making Up a Crib, Selecting a Layette, Children's Self-Help Clothing, Choosing Toys for Children of Various HOW FIVE CHICAGO STORES USED COMMERCIAL FILMS Check this list for your own application cf films to your promotion and training n Trained Clerks With Syndicated Films D Trained Clerks With Own Films OH Entertained in Toy Departments Q Promoted Entire Maternity Center n Sold Travel With Regular Programs G Promoted Own Manufactured Lines Q Built Food Department Sales n Aided Club Bureau Activities D Sold Luggage With Travel Films n Improved Packaging Dept. Results G Aided National Advertising Sales G Special Depaitment Sales Aids Copyright. 1938, Business Screen, Inc. Ages . . . followed in rapid succession. The department's officials had hit upon a strikingly effective means of stimulating interest and subsequent purchases. The pictures (which were 16mm. silent, four of them in color, presented with accompanying lectures) drew lively responses . . . aided purchases in other departments as well . . . and "have demonstrated tremendous crowd-drawing power when mentioned in the store's advertising". The customer films of Carson Pirie are tied-in with national events. For example, special promotion of the baby films precedes National Baby Week. The pictures are, during Baby Week, presented every day. One or more of the films, during the remainder of the year, are presented each Wednesday afternoon, in the Infants' Goods Section. Sales of the goods depicted on the screen are traceable immediately, say Carson Pirie department heads. The picture showing proper selections of toys for the various ages of children is given outside as well as store-distribution. It is shown before Women's Clubs, Auxiliaries, and before various other appropriate groups. "Enter the Sales Slip" * The enthusiasm of Carson Pirie executives for infants'-wear and toy department films, rapidly permeated other departments. With the store's Dramatic Club as a cast, a personnel-training film was created to show the multiple effects of wrongly-entered sales slips. Tracing humorously the difficulties caused — from the time the slip had been entered to the final step wherein the customer's complaint must be rectified, the movie "shows, as no amount of mere lecturing could do, the extra work thrown upon the various departments through which the slip passes". This picture has proven valuable for reminding old employees of an important matter, and for breaking in new groups. The Carson Pirie American Legion Post passes in colorful reviews in a film which portrays its multiple activities. The film not only possesses fine publicity value, but tends to inculcate pride, Americanism, and to foster store loyalty among Carson employees. Marshall Field & Company Among Store Movie Pioneers * Five years ago "Field's" turned to movies . . . found them to be a powerful merchandising accessory. Today motion-pictures are an intrinsic and important unit in their aggressively modern system. In the Luggage Section, for example . . . Here films on travel subjects — (furnished by various travel agencies) are frequently presented . . . found to be an excellent stimulus to sale of travel-needs. The Toy Department, catering to juvenile audiences on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and sometimes on holidays, has its own Children's Theatre. It has a seating capacity of 300, Parents, of course, accompany the children, and the double selling job thus affected is consummated in the nearby Toy Department. Besides various children's films — including animated cartoons, film playlets, etc., films on toy selection are given for the benefit of the parents. Motion pictures "take" drapery prospects