WINDOW DISPLAY (Wholesale).—With the increasing interest of the retail trader in the value of his window display there has been awakened an interest by the wholesaler in the possibilities of successful aggressive work in this direction. The retail trader who is making window displays of an up-to-date character, finds in the course of a year that his stock of ideas for providing original and attractive windows is running out, and lie becomes particularly amenable to suggestions from the outside, particularly if those suggestions are likely to result in profit to himself.
This point of view has been realised by many manufacturers who have gone out of their way to organise schemes for window decoration which could be adapted for use in the shop windows of retailers interested in the speciality. To-day, a department for dressing retail windows is quite a commonplace feature of an up-to-date firm engaged in the distribution of goods in general demand. One of the earliesrt manufacturing firms to seize on this method of popularising a proprietary article was the proprietors of Erasmic Soap, who, in some respects, pioneered the speciality window on behalf of the wholesale house. In the days when such displays were infrequent, the proprietors of Erasmic Soap designed elaborate settings for windows, calculated to show up their specialities in the most attractive ways, the window itself being almost a complete design in which not only the arrangement of the goods was con sidered, but a suitable colour scheme for the background provided. The firm specialised in making up their soaps in a tempting and attractive manner, in providing useful window cards and simple central features for display, and and theattentiongiven to the first one or two may be of the slightest and most' indi erent character. Whatever the attention may happen to be, the longer tl e time that elapses between each shot the more likely it is that the retailer has forgotten one shot before the next one arrives. Whereas, if they follow at regular and short intervals, in all probability the effect of each card will be stronger as it arrives, on account of its predecessors being yet in the memory of the recipient.
Another attractive form of circulars, which is just coming into vogue, is that of the "folder," which oilers a wider scope for individuality and originality than any other method of circularising through the post. These are generally folded in a novel and peculiar manner, which is calculated in itself to arrest the attention of the trade and cause comment.xamples of this style of circular are given in illustration No. 10, showin how the various folds are made. These circulars can he printed on any cok.2r paper, or any texture of paper, and in any number of inks deemed necessary, although, considering that, after all, their life is very short, it is unwise to spend too much money on their preparation. Two colours on a coloured paper generally give the best effect for a small expenditure. • This is a brief review of the method of advertising to the trade; but it must be borne in mind once more that the whole secret of success lies in the preparation of the matter, and the foundation of the trade campaign is the selling campaign. The article has certain advantages in itself, and the advertiser has a certain idea which will promote the sale of that article. The merits of that article should be proved by trade advertising to the trade, and the manufacturer or advertiser must announce his methods by which he proposes to push that article. In other words, he should, when asking the retailers to stock his goods, tell them the merits of the goods, and, more important still, the methods by which he proposes to shift them.
The advertising campaign is practically founded, as is said, on the selling campaign, and on the primer which all progressive firms should issue from time to time to their travellers. All advertisers who watch their travellers' work prepare a primer of the selling points of their goods, so that the travellers have these selling points at their fingers' ends. The trade literature should be founded on these selling points, and should be practically a reproduction in printed form of the argument the salesman uses when calling upon the trade. J. MURRAY ALLISON.
Advertising Manager of " The Times."