The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-02

each year. one such superintendent /
refused to sign his salary contract I'M
til clause had been inserted guar
anteeing him thirty-two window dis. !
plays year and naming the dates
for each.
Window dressing-the exhibition Of
goods to attract the attention and draw
the custom of passers-by who might |
otherwise never think of entering the J
store-is always done at night behind
the lowered shades. Why it takes
trained artists at high salaries to do
this work is obvious to any one who
has stopped to look at and admire the
elaborate exhibits that every big de-
partment store presents in its show
v 1dows. It takes time to prepare and |
arrange these most attractive displays |
and the display which is to be shown |
tomorrow must not interfere with that |
which has the right of way today. |
Dismantling of today's exhibit must not |
be begun until the last minute of the |
last selling hour has passed. So the |
window dressers do their work at |
night, and there is never a night in
a department store that some dis |
plays are not giving way to others. |
Always the taking down of one win
dow exhibit and the setting up Of
another is a matter of hours, and often !
the winodw dresser, finds breakfast |
ready for him when he reaches home |
Allied in some degree to the dress
ing of windows is the trimming of the
! store interior-the whole, of one or
two floors, or perhaps only one depart
menl--in honor of some special sale,
of some special anniversary in the
stores history, or for a holiday sea-
son, or for any other of the very num-
erous reasons any live merchant can
find for making his store attractive
to the public. For this there is usual
a separate staff from the window
dressers, though sometimes the latter
will design he decorations and super
wise their instalment. In many cases
this interioz trimming is done at night
but when the decorations are planned
on a large scale, as when the whole
store is covered, advantage is taken o.
Sunday whenever possible With the
material all ready in advance, and with
plenty of carpenters, painters, cleo
triciuns. mechanics and Other work
men on hand, the largest store can be
decorated from top to bottom between
six o'clock Saturday afternoon and
eight o'clock Monday morning. With
the same force it can be less elaborate
ly trimmed or a few floors can be
, decorated in the daylight hours of
Sunday But both the very extensive
and the limited trimming call for night
work, and so must be included in the
. after-hours activities of a department
4 store.
Few of tire larger stores keep the
s same arrangements of counters, tables,
@ showcases, partitions and department
p, divisions throughout the year The
general appearance will, of course, be
f the same from year to year. The mer-
chant who wants his customers to feel
at home in his store is too wise to
+ ask them to get acquainted with a
new, interior if it can be avoided But
r. scarcely a day passes that there are
not some small changes in details here
). and there which require shifting OF
r shelving, counters, partitionn and the
s like. So with the close of the selling
day carpenters, painters, plumbers
o gas filters, electricians and others re
r port for duty. Their numbers vary
with the expected demand, but there is
k nearly always work for them to dc
e and finish before the next days bust
ness starts up.
If AS in the aces of extensive decors
r tions, when really serious alterations
in fixtures or floor plans are to be
made, they are carrlIied out lbetweeI
Saturday and Monday-two nights ant
'e one day-with relays of workmen tina
Is keep the work going every moment.
lie When it is found advisable to shift
department from one part OF TIT
N store to another it is usually done a
rt night, This is not an every nigh
Of occurrence, for many merchants be
re lieve it best to retain each department
re where their customers have Learned
~ to look for it. Such changes mus
,e sometimes be made, however, AM
ID when they are there is another add
If ton to the night life of the store.
is Some of the department stores d.
20, most of the replenishing of stocks Of
le sale At night In the majority o
m stores, however, additions to the good
10 at the counters are made in the slac
st hours. The first hour after the Ftor
Oh opens is generally the lightest hou
d. of the days trade in all departments
ID. and stocks can then be replenishe