The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-26
Home Sill
of Interest
to Women

"All this sensational talk that
the women of America have lost in
terest in the home, that American
family life has degenerated, is, to
put it plainly, bunk, and we have
proved that it is bunk" said RAN
dolpn Branner, merchandising man
ager of the National Home Furnish
ing Campaign, before furniture
manufacturers of Indiana at the
Indianapolis Athletic Club today on
the invitation of the Indianapolis
Furniture Manufacturers Associa-
ton. The meeting was called to
present plans of a national cam
paign to the men who make fur
niture in Indiana.
TN order to find out the facts
about the furniture industry and
about the people who buy furniture
in this country, we made a national
survey in which we talked with and
questioned not'only furniture deal
ers and manufacturers but women
of every class all over the United
States" Branner said. "Toe most
striking fact brought out, when the
answers were analysed, was that
the primary interest Of so per cent
of the women questioned was in
their homes, in the equipment of
those homes and in proper sur
roundings for their children.
Another striking fact was that
the great majority Of women-75 per
cent of those called on--have in
herent good taste in home furnish
ings. This was brought out not by
the answers Of the women them
selves to a question as to whether
they have good taste-that would
have been absurd-but by the judg-
ment of our investigators. a SINH
lar point was in regard to women's
color sense. Our investigators re-
ported that of the women called on
so far as could be determined by
the surroundings in the home, the
decorations and so on, 80 per cent
! have excellent sense Of color, q per
cent have only a fair color sense
and "a per cent have poor color
sense.
"Women's preference in buying
home furnishings, their replies
showed, is actually based on their
appreciation of beauty and har-
mony rather than on price alone.
That seems to be one Of the errors
of the retail furniture business. In
our investigation we analysed the
advertising of retail dealers in
thirty-two cities of varying size all
over the United States, and we
found that IS per cent Of the adj
vertising of those dealers was based
on price appeal rather than quality.
1--WE inquired what it is that
women like to know about furniture.
We found 81 per cent interested in
ideas for the home, 16 per cent in
terested in woods used, IA per cent
interested in style or appearance of
the furniture, 3 per cent interested
in its construction and per cent
not interested at all. More or less
interest in period design was eX-
pressed by 60 per cent, although in
only per cent was this interest
pronounced, and 81 per cent were
more or less interested in exclusive
design, but with only 3 per cent
showing a pronounced interest"
The national home merchandise
ing campaign, which Mr.. Branner
explained in his speech, is a four
year advertising and merchandising
program to be conducted by the en-
tire industry, but under the specific
sponsorship of the National Retail
Furniture Association. The Mills
Advertising Company of Indian
apolis is advertising counsel for the
association.