THE NEW YOSK
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
PUBLIC LIBRART
ASTOR, LENOX
REVIEW
THE
VOL. LXXXIII. No. 1
Published Every Saturday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y., July 3, 1926
Single Copies 10 Cent*
$2.00 Per Year
82 Per Gent of Music Dealers Trace
Sales to Window Displays
m
Investigation Conducted by Review Shows Vast Majority of Retail Music Merchants Answering Question-
naires Can Trace Direct Sales of Instruments Displayed in Their Show Windows—Impor-
tance of This Means of Selling Showing Rapid Advance in Ideas of the Merchants
The third question, whether sales could be
RECENT survey conducted in the Mid- show windows were changed, and whether oi
dle West regarding the value of proper not they could trace sales directly to their win- traced directly to window displays or not,
window display by the retail merchant, dow displays. Approximately 80 per cent of brought the- following answer: Affirmative, 82
showed that 72 per cent of the persons answer- those receiving the questionnaires answered per cent; occasionally, 15 per cent; and nega-
tive, 3 per cent.
ing the questionnaire that was sent out, re- them.
ported that they watched retail store window
A comparison of the questionnaires showed
The first question asked has an important
displays and felt that they were directly influ- bearing upon the entire problem. If a retail that those who reported the most direct results
enced in their buying by the adequate presenta- music store has found it necessary to have one from their window displays were those who
tion of merchandise to their attention by this man charged with the duties of planning, pre- changed them the most frequently, and that
means.
paring and carrying out window displays, it is the ratio of returns steadily decreased as the
A study of retail store costs, some time ago, beyond doubt that the display has been found ratio of change advanced. Hence the number
of times a window dis-
showed that in choice
play is changed is evi-
locations the rental cost
dently an important fac-
of the show window con-
tor in the results which
stituted practically one-
are obtained from it.
third of the entire rental,
this p e r c e n t a g e , of
Remarks of some of
course, diminishing as
the retail music mer-
the location of the store
chants reporting showed
became less choice.
that some remarkable
Several of the large
sales are made by the
chain store organizations
window. One retail mu-
which have made con-
sic merchant in New
spicuous successes in
York, for instance, stated
their own p a r t i c u l a r
that only recently a pe-
lines, pick their locations
riod grand priced at
strictly upon the basis of
$2,000 had been sold
the number of persons
directly from its display
who pass a given point
in the window. Another
during each twenty-four
merchant stated: "Only
hours, largely because
recently an $1,800 Mason
they consider the show
& Hamlin was sold for
window the most direct
A Typical Window Display at Aeolian Hall, New York
cash directly out of the
means of approaching their prospective cus- an efficient means of making sales in the store. window." Another said: "Our window sells
tomers.
Of those answering The Review question- more for us than all other advertising put to-
These three factors show the value placed naire, 68.6 per cent reported that they had a gether." Still another, that he felt that "win-
upon the show window in general merchandis- window display man in their employ and 31.4 dow display is too often discounted by the aver-
ing and the results in sales that can be traced per cent that there was no man in their organ- age dealer."
to it. But what is the position it occupies in izations charged with that specific duty. How-
There have always been retail music mer-
the consideration of the retail music merchant, ever, in the latter group there were a number chants who devoted a great deal of attention
and is it equally as efficient in selling their mer- who stated that they planned their window dis- and care to their window displays, but in the
chandise, the unit value of which is far above play themselves, that they depended upon the past they were to some extent exceptions. Dur-
the general average, and where so-called "drop- sales force for suggesting and carrying out win- ing the last few years, however, the trend to-
in" trade is usually considered to play but a dow displays, or that several people in the or- wards better window display has been steadily
small part in the gross volume of sales?
apparent, even the smaller dealer, comparatively
ganization took care of this at times.
To study this condition The Review recently
The second question, how often is the win- speaking, devoting time and attention to this
sent out a questionnaire to one hundred of the dow display changed, brought the following work. That this trend is justified is shown in
leading retail music stores in the country. report: Twice a week, 6 per cent; weekly, 72 the figures used in this article and that it should
These merchants were asked whether or not per cent; every two weeks, 18 per cent; every continue is without question. For musical in-
they had a window display man in their store three weeks, 2 per cent; and monthly, 2 per struments are merchandise which can be dis-
organizations, how often the displays in their cent.
played properly and with results.
A
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