174 THE MODEL STOCK PLAN
While much of the window display work is now good and
has been good in the past, here, too, personal opinion has
ruled just as it has in other publicity. Without detracting
in the least from all of the good work already done in this
field, it is certain that our knowledge of how to increase
our total profits through window display is still in its pioneer
stage. We can add materially to the effectiveness of our
window displays by using the Model Stock Plan methods,
which are based on scientific facts. If our window displays
are sufficiently skilful and effective, they draw into our store
many shoppers who otherwise might not come in.
Many a customer, walking past the store, sees in the
window something that she wants. Then she goes to the
department, examines the article, and perhaps purchases it.
Or a window display reminds her of something similar so
that she goes to the department in search of it.
In general, our windows can do their most profitable work
by advertising the same kind of merchandise our competitors
are advertising. The other stores are bringing a large
number of people, intent on buying, past our windows. Itis
our business, if possible, to stop them. Ordinarily, thou-
sands of customers go past a big store. The buyers and
the management will be satisfied if they sell a comparatively
few pieces. When this happens, something is wrong: the
price or the goods or the display.
We must make sure that the results of our window displays
are checked back to see just how effective they are. Most
stores check back to find what sales they have made through
newspaper advertising and at least the percentage of the
total advertising expense as compared with the total sales
of the store. In the window display it is not usually possible
to know exactly which sales are made directly by the win-
dows, nor exactly what it bas cost per sale. A good many
stores do not even charge rent against a selling department
for the windows it uses. But even when window rent is
charged, as it is in many of the most successful stores, the
checking back of results is a good deal of guesswork.
