Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26
MERCHANDISING AIRPLANES
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKlN.

When will department stores be adj
vertising sales Of airplanes at marked
down prices? The time Is not so far
distant as the casual reader may think,
Tor actually two stores which sell every
thing from cold cream to furniture
have opened departments devoted to
things aeronautic.
In other words, for two years a store
IN Philadelphia and more recently a
store in Washington have given what
Is most valuable to merchants. floor
space. to commodity which. If 1t Is
not new. Is being offered to the public
IN an entirely new way.
An ad spread in the Sunday papers
might catch the eye by proclaiming
Fly High on Our Low Prices. The
Humming Bird. Last Word in Air Art
and Science. Now Reduced to So ,eo9 90
All Models Including the Family Friend
Greatly Reduced. The Family Friend
Complete With Baby's Hammock Re-
duced 1917. Picnic Refrigerator s2927
extra"
The more modest trade-puller might
read: "Polychrome Parachutes: Have
Your Safety-Catch Match Your Cos
tune: Particular Parachutes for Par
ncuiar People Are Not the Cheapest
Such advertising campaigns undoubt-
ediy would attract the family trade and
make Mother willing for the heir to
nave sport plane for his graduation
present. he could order 1t at the
emporium guaranteeing 1t would be one
OF those safe ones and where it could
be charged on the monthly bill.
Send up new wheel Tor nv land
ing gear; landed on the roof last
night when was going home and
smashed against beacon post" crowls
male customer on the morning after.
The bride walls. The color OF my
wings won't do at all! especially
ordered beige to match my going away
nat. and now here We have a plane that
won't harmonic with any OF my trous-
seau!"
Book passage for New York for me
on the 4;30 no-stop special" orders
the business man. and Mother schedules
her fight lessons to sandwich In with
the bridge club and the lectures on
politics.
why department store should give
moor and advertising space. statesmen
ana money to an interest that Is popu-
larry thought to belong TO mailmen, ad-
venturers. sportsmen, devil-may-care s
ana the idle rich Is frankly explained
by the man who introduced airplanes
into Washington merchandising
Publicity the Big Idea.
As might be expected, he Is young
and enthusiastic. but at the same time
he Is experienced. having received his
store training In how to sell and how
to attract the public to his sales. He
Is interested In aviation not only be-
cause there Is a possibility OF It's be-
coming the major transportation serv-
ice OF the future, but because he be-
lieves that all stores will have TO get
into some phase OF the business, and he
wants his 10 lead the way. It may be
conceded that his firm Is not young and
impetuous. FOR having been established
nearly 10 years ago, 1t apparently has
reached the age OF discretion.
The owners OF the Washington store
admit that they do not expect to make
fortunes overnight In their new enter
prise and that they undertook It for the
publicity they would gain. as well as TO
show their faith In the future OF avi-
alton and to establish a department
that would prosper. In the meantime
until the department pays Its way they
are satisfied that It viii be an asset al
an attraction.
They display real airplane engine
and model OF an airplane on the frs:
| floor at the present time but soon they
expect To give greater space. where they
VIII exhibit real. full-sized plane
They sponsor two planes. identical In
body construction. but using engines OF
| widely different classes. as their prices
| indicate.
The expert who Is In charge OF the
exhibition explains that the planes are
sport models with dual control and are
| built 10 accommodate pilot and two
| passengers, The bodies are maroon and
| the wings are tan.
The engine In the plane selling for
about $4,000 has speed OF approx
mately 100 miles an hour, The more
powerful engine. which raises the price
by $4,000. also raises the speed TO l4u
miles All hour. They both have a cruis-
Ing radius Of about five hours the fuel
consumption being measured In the air
by the hour instead Of miles.
Solo" "take-off," broadcast" ana
sign of" are among the many words
with new Significance now In common
Use because Of the progress Of inven-
ton. and II. r. r." may be- considered
the last word In new expressions. Every
one knows that In making Il purchase
II o. b, Detroit" the price includes the
|
point. In the same way the price
quoted IL, r.. r." auch-and~stich n n.y.
ing field means the cost Of plane
ready IN fly from that point.
A New Service Offered.
| A service offered by this department,
which Is rum on the same basis Ha all
the others IN the st0fe~~and which will
show an immediate return, according
~ the store heads-~~is that Of booking
ONCE for tourists Sightseeing flights
and for general air transportation from
city 10 city The agent books air pas"
sage any place IN the United States
and IN Europe. where airplanes are run
on schedules like trains. and tho CON-
panies publish time tables and price
lists, serve meals and carry baggage,
even the familiar eAcasa baggage,
Leather coats. heimeta and other ny