Simplicity is the best principle to follow in window dressing. The general inclination is to crowd a window until it offers nothing but confusion to the passer-by. It should always be remembered that the first mission of a window is "to sell goods," and a crowded window has about the same chance of sales as would a clerk who offered a customer a dozen different objects in every sentence. The circular arrangement of goods is usually more graceful and effective than cornered grouping and to this end only curved fixtures should be secured. There are, of course, many striking displays to be had from square and triangular forms, but in the circular method there is greater safety from possible discord.
A "mixed" window containing goods of various grades and sorts not in harmony should generally be avoided. Goods for displays can be divided into two classes : New and seasonable goods, which find a ready sale because of their novelty or timeliness, and slow-selling goods, which must be moved by the expedient of bargain prices. The sell ing value of a window is almost invariably increased by a display of prices—merely prices, not necessarily "cut" prices. Prices have an educational effect directly bearing upon a larger sale of grocery luxuries. There are hundreds of commodities in the grocer's stock which many people never consider purchasing, simply because they are under an impression that these goods are much beyond their means.
The grocer's stock offers an immense variety of commodities from which to draw material for attractive displays. The idea of arranging in the window a group of various spices with a world map as a background and then running a slender ribbon from each pile of spice to the point on the map from which that spice came, is always sure to attract profitable attention. This scheme can also be used for other imported articles, and whenever photographs of scenes in foreign fields, markets and manufac tories can be obtained they should always be considered as valuable window material, especially in these "map" displays.
All goods, particularly foreign products, which are put up in fancy or unusual cans, boxes, jars and bottles, possess much interest to the public. Small packing cases or casks having foreign labels, seals and other quaint marks can be used to advantage. A good idea for attracting attention to imported goods would be to arrange a number of pyramids, each composed of products from a certain country, and then to surmount each group with a small flag of the nation furnishing those commodities.
Rare and curious fruits are excellent attractions, and if a grocer does not make a specialty of fine fruits he can secure from the nearest importer of such goods quite a variety of uncommon tropical fruits. Such articles should not be considered as stock to be sold, as they well pay for themselves in the attention which they secure for the store. Displays of this nature should always occupy a prominent position, and care should be taken to set them off to the best possible advantage. The leaves of such fruits should be obtained when possible, and if the wrappings are unusual in appearance they should also be exhibited.
Displays composed entirely of one particular brand of packaged goods are always striking. A window filled with a certain soap, cereal or starch impresses observers with the abundance of that article and the extensive demand that must, in conse quence, exist for it, and to convince people of a commodity's popularity is to accomplish the largest part of your sales work on it.
Many concerns send out made-up displays showing their goods as they appear in various stages of manufacture, and these can generally be used to advantage. Most manufacturers are generous in siipplying their trade with such material for displays as may assist in the sale of the goods they make, and while a merchant should practice discrimination in choosing from this material for his window he should by no means neglect it.
Window displays should be seasonable. There isn't much "pulling" quality in a mid-summer display of fur overcoats, and it should no more be expected that a window full of plum puddings will appeal to many people in July. For a summer display of packaged cereals, flaked corn or puffed grains of some sort should be chosen rather than rolled oats or other heavy breakfast foods.
"Mechanical" displays—those having action due to special mechanism—are very effective if their obvious purpose is to show the quality or method in manufacture of some particular article of stock. But it should never be lost sight of that a display must attract attention to the goods for sale and not merely to some interesting, but irrelevant, device. Electric fans can be used to advantage in giving action to flags or draperies and can usually be so placed as to be either entirely out of sight or quite inconspicuous.