The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-03-05
The New kilIian store.


is a daylight store" for not only does
it aim to do its business in the day
light hours, but with the extensive
alterations which were only today
completed it is more than ever a store
as light as day in every department
and nook and corner.
The alterations which are just
finished are much more complete and
extensive than is generally realized
by any save those who have been in
touch with the progress of the work
After the A. l.. Killian company
succeeded the Johnson Dry Goods
company something more than a year
ago, Mr.. Killian began to work out
complete scheme or plan for remodel
ing the store. His aim, in these plans,
was primarily to secure, first greater
floor space, second, a better lighted
store and third, the opportunity of a
more systematic and attractive classi-
fication of departments. Today when
the contractor and the last of his men
left the store it was easily seen that
Mr.. Killian had been successful in his
aims.
To briefly recount what the altera-
tiOns have accomplished:
The body of the store has been eX-
tended at least thirty-five feet to the
south and all waste space has been
eliminated. The large dressmaking
and storage rooms have been replaced
by a series of compact, artistically
constructed rooms, in the extreme
south end of the store, capped by a
balcony for reserve stock and contain
| ing fitting room, a rest room, toilet
rooms and packing room. In front
of these rooms double, open office
has been built ont. Here is Mr. Kill
lian's private office and desks for the
cashier and bookkeeper. A new car
rier system has been installed to assist
the clerks in quicker service.
Along the east wall, thirty-six feet
forward, are the new cloak apartments,
seven feet deep. The apartments are
capped by a huge glass display case.
Like the open Office the cloak apart
ments are constructed to add to the
appearance of the store, panels and
mirrors alternating. In front of the
apartments the open space for the
use of customers has been several
times doubled.
In redecorating a pure white ceiling
has been secured. The side walls are
of subdued brown. Every inch of
woodwork has been revarnished. Not
only do the white ceiling and the new
colors, assisted by the prism upper
windows placed in the front of the
working floor space, receives still
building sometime ago, aid in diffus.
| ing the light, but the rear of the store,
which has just been added to the
more light from a large prism glass
skylight, new feature for the store.
In rearranging the departments, the
garments in the ready-to-wear depart
ment are of course hung in compact
space in the special cloak apartments
On the west side the trunk and suit
case department has the south end of
the building and is entirely shelved.
Next is the carpet department, all
shelved, and the rug department. The
shoe department receives extra space.
In the center and east parts of the
store nearly all departments receive
some advantage.
With the alterations completed the
A. l.. Killian company believe that it
has secured a more than ordinarily
attractive dry goods store which will be
credit to Norfolk and that the alter
ations have accomplished what they
were in tended to ccomplish-better
service to the public.