New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-02-20
Novel Ideas
Used i'm Trade
As Sti11lllla1lts
Shoe Industry Showing Re-
sourcefulness i'm Stirring
Up New Business to Re-
lieve the Depression
Nursery Setting i'm Store
Manufacturers Turn to the
Movies and Making By
products From Scraps

products From Scraps
P OMANCE is coming back into bust
- ness. The period of inflated prices
and easy profits took much Of the TO-
nance out Of business. Defation, haui-
aation and a return to active COMPETE
ton are bringing out here and there
tho strange developments resulting
from keen business thinking along con-
structive lines. New policies, new
methods, new ideas all around are
creeping into business Some Of them
will be found successful and probably
will become commonplace in a few
years. Others will fell and will be dis
earded, but the average business man
is now more than ready TO give a fair
trial to any new ideas calculated to in
crease his sales or his profits.
The shoe trade is showing great men,
tai resourcefulness in wriggling out Of
the tight hole in which it found itself
preeipitated last year. Hundreds Of
new ideas have cropped up in that trade
in the past few months.
Three of the most important SO far
developed in this locality are nursery
shoe shop for children installed by a
progressive retailer, motion picture
facturer and the manufacture of belts
from shoe scraps by another footwear
producer,
Nursery Shoe Shop
The Nursery Shoe Shop is part Of a
.. 4 4.
opened on Fifth Avenue. The shop is
complete unit in itself. With the
idea in mind that the most important
part in selling and fitting infants and
children'1 shoes is tho satisfaction of
the child, the room has been fitted up
as complete nursery in ivory enamel
Little swings have been provided for
the amusement of the Riddles, and later
sandbox and set Of picture books
will be added. The frieze around the
room is composed of fairy tale illus
trations in color and the stock case
units are separated by large wooden
soldiers painted in the brilliant reds,
blues and yellows so pleasing to child
isl eyes.
Other features for the amusement
Of the child are scattered about the
room. When a child is being fitted
With new boots and becomes restless
under the operation, 1t is permitted to
get down from the fitting chair for n
few minutes and .amuse itself by play
ing: Thus what has ordinarily been a
tedious process for the child, the
mother and sales person, becomes mere
play
Because of the high labor content
of childrens shoes they have shown
more Of a proportionate price increase
than footwear for grown-ups. Prices
ranging from SIS to $40 for children's
shoes have becoNle commonplace, even
with the reductions that haye been
made In the last few months. A cer-
tain amount of prejudice against high
prices must be overcome in the child's
parents, and this new method Of SELL
ing is expected to accomplish the re-
suit desired.
Movies Also Help
Clever resourcefulness in turning
the movies into shoe selling propai
ganda was shown by certain Brook
lyn manufacturer of high grade, highly
styled shoes for women. He had a
large and striking exhibit at the re-
cent convention Of retailers end style
moving picture companies took several
hundred feet. Of film at the show. This
manufacturer obtained about 200. feet
showing his own exhibit and several
close-ups of his leading styles, had it
reprinted into six copies and 10 now
sending these out on half dozen cir
cults into which the country is divided.
The film is sent to a retail customer
of the manufacturer in each town, who
in turn Rrranges to have it shown at
the leading motion picture theater.
That the scheme results in increased
tales is proved through reports that
accompanied by recorders for certain
styles that were shown on the silver
screen.
Reclamation OF Scraps
A manufacturer Of mems shoes
started reclamation department
about year ago, through which every
scrap of material cast aside in his
factory was salvaged. Up until a
short time ago this was sold. thus re-
ducing slightly the operating costs~of
the factory.
With the necessity forced by present
conditions of reducing production
costs as much as possible, the shoe
man thought that this scrap, or part
of 1t might be converted into a by
product in his own factory, and the
revenue thus derived, further applied
to cutting down the; cost of operation.
He invented an inter!acing leather
disk belt, made from the Scraps Of
upper leather, and member OF his
organisation invented a machine to do
the interlacing. The belt is now be-
ing offered on the market and claims
the distinction of being the only
genuine calfskin belt that can be re-
tailed with profit by the merchant at
less than $50.
After paying the additional costs in
volved in fabricating the belts and
marketing them the manufacturer
figures. that his scrap will pay him al
most three times as much through this
process as it did when he sold it in
bulk to scrap leather dealers.
Planning for Convention
| International Garment profIuc.