Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
CAUSE
The CROW
OF THE
i
WINDO
By RICHARD
W
I N D O W display is a powerful factor in the dis-
tribution of merchandise, for its prime function
is to attract possible customers into the store,
though many men overlook this basic function of
window display.
Light, color and motion artistically blended attract the eye
but the display must present a message which appeals not
alone to the emotions, but creates desire, producing concrete
results in terms of actual sales increase.
After all, your store is merely a junction point in the
journey of the merchandise from the manufacturer to the
consumer. Your window display is the seasonal time-table
indicating arrivals and departures through this junction. By
proper management of display schedules, you can keep mer-
chandise moving through this way-point to its final destina-
tion in the consumer's home.
Your displays should quicken and 1 stimulate demand for
the goods shown by telling your story so effectively and quick-
ly that he who runs may absorb it intelligently.
We are living in an age of airplane speed. Display tempo
has been stepped up along with all other phases of merchan-
dising. Just as the old-time traveling man with his slow-
going methods and his endless anecdotes is being replaced by
-nen who know how to say "good morning" and when to say
"good bye," so the display man must learn to spread his wares
before the busy window shopper in a way that says: "Here
I am—you will benefit by buying me."
If you want to know whether your windows are selling
merchandise or merely attracting attention suppose that when
you go out to luncheon tomorrow you stroll along the side-
walk in front of your show windows, and listen to the com-
ments of the shopping crowds. The remarks you hear may
be cynical, humorous, flippant or plainly irrelevant, but you
will learn much in thirty minutes that you can learn in no
other way.
The new generation is exerting a tremendous influence in
the sales and distribution of pianos, radios and other musical
merchandise. Every business has felt the effect of this in-
fluence. Cosmetics and silk hosiery sales are evidence of this
fact. You can direct influence by educating the window
shopper, by developing taste and judgment.
In this respect William G. Bailey of
Southern California Music Co., Los Angeles
is an outstanding craftsman. His window displays combine
beauty with practical merchandising ideas. Every display he
designs has a definite theme—a theme that can be played on
the cash register to the tune of more sales and added profits.
As an example of Mr. Bailey's work, he recently designed
a piano window that created a good deal of comment and in-
cidentally sold several pianos. The centerpiece of the dis-
play was a Baldwin piano. Around and over it was a laurel
wreath six feet in height. Incorporated in this wreath were
photographs of famous artists spaced at regular intervals be-
tween the leaves. On each leaf adjacent to the pictures the
name of the artist shown was recorded—Joseph Lhevinne,
Pietro Cimini, Mary Garden, Richard Buhlig, George Lieb-
ling, Elsa Alsen and Homer Grunn being the most promi-
nent.
I
THE STRONG WINDOW DISPLAY DOES NOT
HE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW,
December,
1931