The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-19
Helps Sales To Have New / est Styles Displayed Where They Can Be\
 Handled

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 See that customer paving over the blouse on the lay figure? ?" asked the department head in the ready-to-wear garment section of a store in the Broadway y-Thirty-fourth Street shop pink district. "It's a fine piece of handiwork adorning the dummy, but you notice that neither any of my girls, nor I is the least bit nervous about whether the blouse will become soiled or shop-worn. That's because the garment is one of my 'bait-mod- els and was placed where it is for just that purpose-to let the shopper handle 1t, as we'll as look at it.
 "I have decided that 1t is good bus mess. Why? Because I have learn- ed by close observation that the more senses the prospective customer is all lowed to bring to bear on. attractive goods the bigger the chance for a sale. I am sometimes sorry the gar ments cannot be smelled and tasted by the shopper during the examina- ton of the goods-don't laugh. mean it.
 There's a reason. You desire a thing only by the exercise of your senses, and the more senses you ap- ply, on anything that attracts your at tention the more you are apt to de- sire it. But, of course, you must first be favorably impressed by the article
 'The merchant who does not be- I-kx Nx.l La, 1a any of his stock, for the reason that he is too close to permit the sacri- flee of a model or two through soiling and mussing, I believe to be a back number Why, those bait models that help sell the goods should be considered in the light of outworn show pieces sun-damaged window stock, or just charged up to advertis- ing. Your live merchant wouldn't refuse to put models in his show win dow for fear that the sun might dam age them, would he? He'd expect a reasonable amount of wear and tear and then think of the garments that are worn in style reviews by living models.
 Nevertheless, I've seen depart ment heads who were so fussy about their stock that they would not even allow single model garment to be used as sacrifice to draw sales. If they would only try a little watch full waiting and see how the women first stop to admire a garment on lay figure, rapturously examine the texture by lingering, -and then fall an easy prey to the salesgirls they would think as I do.
 Let a woman's enthusiasm once get fully aroused over one of my sense-exercisers,' as I have dubbed my bait models and if the garment is anything at all in the line of her desire she will almost invariably lis ten to a good salesgirl, and the rest is comparatively easy. So you see, as the function of any advertisement is threefold-to attract attention, to create desire, and to cause the closing of the deal-the sense exerciser' does two of these things, while the sales girl has to do but the last one.
 I've have found in this store that, with the remarkably attractive gar ments,. such, for instance, as these blouse$ which we are offering, with the attracting of attention goes an
 
 closely, test. by feeling, and possess. Of course, on the lay figure we place only garment models whose fabrics commend themselves to any wise pur- chaser. If we kept any rough stuff in stock it would not go on one of the dummies, for these, are to make an An alagt clerk can tell by the manner >in which a woman fondles a garment how far the pre- liminary to the sale already has pro- gressed. Our salesgirls have learned to be psychologists, and if the police can be psychologists, why can't our sensitive. responsive, human nature girls succeed along that line?
 Now you will also notice neither this store, nor any one where wisdom prevails, would permit imported stock like Jenny, Drecoll, Paquin or Cheruit models to be handled-such garments de luxe are kept behind glass cases, as a usual thing. And bait models for the crowd would hardly be need ed, as customers don't purchase such as these on momentary inspiration or because they feel attractive in the fabric.
 "Even a cream or white waist will stand considerable amount of hand ling before it is ready for the reno vator, for the hands of the majority of our shoppers are at least clean enough not to smut the goods.
 That the bait model is a good plan is attested over and over again every day in my pres ence. At certain hours of the day I watch the women swarm about one or two of these attractive blouses fit- ted on dummies. examining the gar ment from all sides and evidently try