New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-28
Women Crowd Out
Men Floorwalkers
In ; Big Stores
uocy's. Wanamakcr's and
Cimbel's Find Feminine
Help an Improvement and
Customers Like Change

N three Of New Works. large depart
vent stores the man hoorwalker has
Assnneared and womcr arc being en-
n,oycd instead These shops are:
vscvs. Gmbol'S and Wanamaker's-
.nd in all three it is said the women
lave come to stay
There are certain departments in
winch we feel that woman section
rausccr is absolutely essential" was
10 sta,emcu, made b. the manager
- enc of ;he stores, which now uses
his more dignihed name. 1--WE have
seor directors whose duty it is to see
that all cur customers are sent to the
correct department. and that their
questions are answered. These women
serve as encyclopedias of general
Information Over them are the sec
ion managers, OF what some stores
csll fool-walkers. Their duties are
many and complex
The manager produced looseleaf
hook with some fifty odd pages all
,yrewritteN IN single spacing. and all
containing detailed information regard
ng the things a section manager must
s1ov.
Must Know 1t All
That portion OF the general public
which believes that all a floor walker
sas 10 dc is to wear a frock coat and
.arly around lot OF dignity and a
esd PENCIL. should try to digest in q
ew minutes or hours the instructions
IN ;6at book.
4
liz tell those who want to know any
ing, have anything adjusted, or find
evt where they can get the "pink
luffy ao-funnies that &C on the shirt
waist. 10 ask the manager wearing
white carnatlon. 1t may be man,
ior some Of them bear this particular
decoration; but, Judging by the crowds
about the Smartly grey uniformed sec
ion managers in skirts, it is more
likely TO be = woman.
The signs are intended not only for
customers. but for sales girls. cash
urls, and general employees From the
ame she comes on her lob at $50
until she leaves at Is. the section man
ager has 10 give information to all of
'hesc. keep her eye on every small de
'all Of her section, smile. no matter
what happens. and remember that tact
IS her front. middle and last name.
Calls 1t Jolly"
But it is polly work" one manager
a.d and | wouldn't exchange it for
My Other position in the store. like
MEETING the customers and seeming to
+ that my department stands ND favor
ably in comparison with others
iOn't mind being on my feet all day,
N fact. don't notice it now. and never
ielt better. A million problems almost
coma up n day, and it exercises my
brain as we'll as my feet to try to adj
ust them. The work is never monoton-
Gus. Maybe that is why it appeals to
women.
Many letters have come from Gus
'omcrs, expressing their satisfaction
With the courteous attention they have
eceivcd from women section man
gers. One customer wrote recently:
There are questions of adjustment
which | fell rather delicate about tax
ne up with man. There are depart
Hents want. something, which !
sould not care to ask a man to direct
70 to- And there arc many times
saen ! want an article whose name !
10 not know. A man simply looks
ispless when try to describe it,.
woman understands my pantomime
because she wears one herself or has
seen someone with one on, and so |
q just what I want. 1T is satisfac-
ion 10 shop in store where q woman
is floor manager.
An Appreciativc Man
Another customer, and this time a
man dashed into a store after Christ
mas TO thank the woman section man
aver of the woman's neckwear depart
ment
Remember those collars got YOU
70 pick out for my wife? Well, she's
crazy about them A man never could
nave known what kind a woman likes.
and guess my wife realized that. for
she laughed when she saw them and
said. III wager you didn't pick them
out
From all points of view the woman
floor walker seems to have made d hit.
One shop which has twenty eight
women floor walkers out Of ninety,
ands them more than satisfactory,
PARTICULARLY in departments carrying
distinctly women's wear such as
aces, veiiings, undermuslins. etc.
And the one in our grocery de
rartment is a viz" said one cnthusi-