The talking machine world (Jan-June 1928)

The Talking Machine World, New York, January, 1928 27 Dramatize Radio Through Better Window Displays {Continued from page 24) space alone, but what enters into it that decides the sales-producing power. The mere placing of merchandise behind the glass is not sufficient, but it seems to satisfy too many. Mr. Radio Dealer, I cannot too strongly emphasize the importance of your making a reasonable investment in your windows. Show radio in a setting that tells the passers-by in picture form of "entertainment, enjoyment, sports, news" — there's no limit. When you sell these you sell radio. Just as you expect the manufacturer to develop a radio that you can sell so does the public expect you to create within them a desire for the radio. Dramatize, change your windows often, let each display be good — don't be satisfied with hit and miss. The larger the retail institutions, the more An Attractive Showroom can be made of most any room, and this sketch illustrates one for a small dealer. At the right was an ugly partition, so we placed a damask curtain in that end of the room and a tapestry on the opposite wall. On top of the radiator was placed a slab on which was displayed a set and receiver. In front of this was placed a settee. A platform was built on back of the window on which an attractive screen was placed and modern lighting installed. This being a cement floor we laid an attractive linoleum and then placed two rugs in the center of the room. A marked increase in sales was made after the changes had been made. important are their display windows — they know their value, and make an investment in equal proportion to their value. In speaking of display to none other than D. F. Kelly, general manager of The Fair, one of America's largest department stores, located in Chicago, he said: "The eye of the passer-by is focused on the show windows, and they should be made as attractive as possible. We consider the show windows the most important feature of our store." The secretary of the Davenport, Iowa, Retail Merchants' Association, and, by the way, one of the most successful music dealers of that state, wrote me: "In my opinion, to neglect one';, window display, if not commercial suicide, means at the very least the establishing of a handicap which it will take many times the required window investment to attempt to counteract through print publicity or other mediums." I could go on quoting hundreds of such interesting remarks on the value of a store's display, but the important thing for the retailer to remember— regardless of size — is that his display windows are just as valuable to him as they are to the greatest store of the world. Too often have I noticed hundreds of radio displays that were very injurious to the dealer even though it appeared as if considerable time and thought, but little money had entered into it. Remember, it is easier to detract than attract; also that just to attract is not sufficient, the display must First — attract the passer-by to stop Second — create within the party who stopped a desire to possess Third — bring him into the store, where the display and contact should be on a par with that seen outside. A display to be good must express the character of the store, be alive with human interest appeal, exert utmost sales influence through silent salesmanship, and be a builder of good will. A cat chasing a mouse through a grocery store window will attract, but those who watch will hardly be impressed to point of purchase of any grocery shown. A fan blowing paper strips or ribbons may attract, but it certainly denotes only motion, it has not created a desire to possess for "comfort" sake such as would be the case were the fan shown in use with a painted cut-out picturing a man seated at his desk in comfort, and on the other side a cut-out of a messenger just entering wiping the sweat from his face. Again I say, dramatize — so as to create a desire so strong it is hard to resist. Good windows will cost you some money, and they will pay you dividends, a liberal one if properly invested. I have seen radio shown on a tile floor, a dirty floor, a crepe paper floor — in each case the value of the product shown was easily decreased 10 per cent to 20 per cent. Would you expect the radio to be used on a tile floor? If it were placed in the bathroom it might be, but it is not a bathroom article. An investment in small rugs, to set the radio on, would help increase its appearance or "value apparent," we might say, eye value. I have seen brightcolored crepe paper used to form a background for a beautiful walnut cabinet. Why? I don't think the dealer who used it even knew; perhaps he thought the colors were bright and pretty. That's why I say it is easier to detract from the radio than attract to it. The colorings of the paper were so bright the radio was secondary — anyway can crepe paper increase the beauty of walnut? Would not a tapestry, a wall paper panel, a window effect or curtain make the radio appear of greater value? Do you associate any value with crepe paper? Everybody knows it is ten cents the roll. Did you ever see crepe paper used about the radio in the home? These are all small details, I know, but they are what go to make a productive or non-productive display, and when we try to analyze why we are not producing sales we must analyze it in detail. The fact of the matter is that it is just as easy to put in a good display as a poor one, if we understand the ingredients. A good display may require slightly more on the initial expenditure, but has always proved to be cheaper than a poor display by reason of the fact that the good display produces and the poor display continues to be an expense, not an investment. If you are a small dealer and do not have in your service an experienced displayman, go to one of the better non-competitive stores and endeavor to have that displayman install a display for you some evening — prove it to yourself. Just as a highly trained advertising man makes your copy productive, so can a seasoned display executive transform your "non-stop" displays to sales producers. Now suppose that you have created the desire through your newspaper and the customer has come to your store, the window display has created a further interest and the customer is ready to go inside. But first also remember that hundreds or thousands pass your store front each day, you consider it the most valuable space of your store — a large percentage of these may not see your newspaper ads so as a tie-up for those who do, and for all those who pass your store front, good window displays play a big part in your merchandising picture. The greater percentage of customers come into {Continued on page 28) Distributors of Son or CLEAR AS A BELL '°S-nHONO&P-p' Sonora Selective Radio and the Tonalic Sonora Phonograph Sonora Distributors J. H. Burke Company, 221 Columbus Ave., Boston, Mass. Belmont Corporation, 316 South Third St., Minneapolis, Minn, and 1210 University Ave., St. Paul, Minn. Gibson-Snow Co., Inc., 312 AVest Willow St.. Syracuse, N. Y. Greater City Phonograph Co., 76 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Hassler Texas Co., 2216 Commerce St., Dallas, Texas. Kohler Distributing: Co., 63-67 Minna Street, San Francisco, Cal. Mayer & Company, 2820 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo. Moore-Bird & Co., 1720 Wazee St.. Denver, Colo. Peirce-Phelps, Inc., 224 North 13th St., Philadelphia, Penn. James K. Polk, Inc., 217 Whitehall St., Atlanta, Ga. and 811 West Broad St., Richmond, Va. Reliance Battery Products Co., 2211 South Eighth Street, Council Bluffs, la. U. C. Schultz, Inc., 442-448 E. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit, Mich. and 1743 Chester Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. Sterling: Boll & Record Co., 137 West Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. Strevell-Paterson Hardware Co., Salt Lake City, Utah. Tay Sales Company, 231 North Wells St., Chicago, 111. and 465 Milwaukee St., Milwaukee, Wis. Twentieth Century Radio Corp., 104 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. Western Radio, Inc., 1224 Wall Street, Los Angeles, Cal. C. A. Richards, Inc., 100 East 45th Street, New York City. Canadian & Export Distributors