Radio today (Apr-Dec 1939)

Htetheds JJuU Clicked What successful dealers are doing to promote the sale of more and better radio sets Street car advertising sells small sets A major selling job on miniature radio receivers for the six Wieboldt department stores, scattered through Chicago and suburbs, is credited to "bulkhead" advertising in Chicago street cars during the entire month of March. Offering two models of the Aeroscope line of the Admiral radios, at $9.95 and $16.95 on payment of $1.00 down and $1.00 per week, the big "ads" helped to push up the total sales for the month to unexpected levels, according to R. L. Hirsch, radio sales and advertising manager. Not content with using the ordinary car card placed in the customary lineup of cards above the windows of a street car, the Wieboldt stores adopted a large vertical card (almost twice the area of the ordinary horizontal card and reproduced on this page) to be hung against the "bulkhead" partition separating the main interior of the car and passengers from the front or rear platform. Passengers facing the partition could not fail to see and read the big cards, attractively illustrated and worded with a brief message certain to stick in one's memory. During the month, these "bulkhead" cards were displayed in 1,100 street cars (40 per cent of all Chicago's cars) With this simple selector, Roy Chandler connects eight sets to one antenna for demonstration in his store. and were seen by an estimated riding population of 1,500,000 daily. Under present advertising policies, the Wieboldt stores run newspaper "ads" every week in the entire year, but do not carry newspaper copy and car cards on the same merchandise at the same time. Additional copies of the "bulkhead" cards were displayed in all departments of all the stores during the month's drive to sell the radios. "About 65 per cent of our total radio sales are the smaller receivers," said Mr. Hirsch. "Console types of receivers run about 35 per cent. We find a ready market for the smaller radios, like those of the Admiral Aeroscope line. It is not difficult to sell console receivers priced from $60 to $95 but we do not find a ready market for receivers that sell for more than $100. We handle three lines of the larger radio receivers and their sales are satisfactory. It is quite evident, however, that the appeal of "no aerial, no ground" has stepped up sales on the smaller radios. "Practically all of our sales are made in the stores, since we do not maintain outside sales crews on radios or other electrical appliances. Some of our salesmen may occasionally make outside sales but they do it on their own time and to prospects first contacted in the store." 8 sets on one antenna helps buyer choose Roy Chandler of Delake, Oregon, has worked out a plan to help display radio sets with little fuss in shiftingantenna. He reports that customers are much pleased with it. Chandler uses a Philco 8-station push-button selector switch as shown in the picture herewith. Press one button to connect any one of eight sets to the antenna; push another to connect a second set and automatically disconnect the first. "This affords a convenient method of comparing various models," says Chandler, "as sets can be tuned to the same station, the volume adjusted. Then, by merely pressing the correct buttons, the change can be made instantly and the customer can readily decide." Wireless player brings 'em into store Several dealers in the New York area have found the new RCA wireless Victrola attachment a booster for floor traffic and general interest leading to sales. Priced at $17.95, it ie a tiny transmitter which permits the record to be played within a radius of 20 feet of any radio set and the music to come directly from the radio without any wires or connections. One stunt being used is to set the reproducer up just outside the store entrance, weather permitting, and invite the curious to come inside and hear the music coming from a set in the store. Another dealer took a unit into a next door delicatessen, and with one of his clerks operating it, was successful in getting a number of potential customers from the delicatessen to come into the radio store. Looks like a natural to us ! WIEBOLDT'S ADMIRAL RADIOS 6 -TUBE SUPERHETERODYNE AC-DC Gcti police calls Electro-dynamic AUTOMATIC TUNING "Si/mandin&lv' OVERSIZE AEROSCOPE SUPER-POWER SUPER-SENSITIVITy Mil Reproduction of the card used by Wie boldt's for street car advertising in Chicago. APRIL 939 47