Retail Advertising Returns. To check returns from retail advertising is quite a different problem from checking returns from keyed ads in monthly magazines. There are no keys, and no mail inquiries to be traced. But a record of general results is very desirable, and it is possible to obtain records which will, at least, indicate the increase in sales due to advertising.
Results of retail advertising must be measured by comparison; if a department store advertises handkerchiefs as a leader for Tuesday, all handkerchief sales for that day would not be due to the advertising, but it is legitimate to credit advertising with any increase over normal sales. If correct sales records are kept, it will be possible to tell the exact amount of handkerchief sales for that and every other day in the year.
Fig. 19. Detailed Record of the Shipment of Street Car Cards
A close check on returns can also be obtained by requiring each sales person to put a distinguishing mark of some kind on sales for advertised articles. Proofs of the day's ads, showing the articles advertised in the department, should be mounted on cards and hung in each department, that the sales person may know when advertised goods are sold. If made large enough, the card can be ruled for a tally of sales, and each sale of advertised goods tallied.
A CORNER IN THE SALES ROOM AT THE CLINTON ST., CHICAGO, PLANT OF THE WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY
There should be an office record showing the results of advertising for each department. In comparing these records sales alone cannot be used, for the weather, and unusual events calculated to increase the crowds in town, must be considered. To-day's sales of an advertised article, with unfavorable weather conditions, probably will not equal the sales of the same article one year ago, which was circus day. If daily records, similar to that provided in the form shown in Fig. 18, are kept, they will soon become very valuable to the advertising department of any retail store.
