Paint and Business
PAINT is a good business partner. It has helped make fortunes. When Frank Woolworth started his chain of five and ten cent stores he made them easy to identify. He had the fronts of them painted red. And a brilliant red it is. It has become so much a part of the Woolworth enterprises that you need no sign to tell you that a certain kind of merchandise is sold within.
What town hasn’t a “blue-front” hardware store or grocery? And what town hasn’t a “red front” tea and coffee store? These color signals are often the only guides needed by a child, no matter how young, in finding the desired mart when sent on an errand. Paint becomes truly a beacon when intelligently used for the purpose.
A jeweler in a large American city was concerned because the light in his store was poor even under artificial illumination. In talking the matter over, a friend suggested that he change his color scheme and make his woodwork white. He had strong objections, because his fixtures were of mahogany, which had cost a great deal of money; but after carefully considering the matter, he took his friend’s advice. The result was amazing. His place of business became the best lighted shop in town. His wares were displayed to better advantage and his trade grew because that interior was cheerful, inviting and practical with its ivory-like cases and trim. He made a transformation with two coats of white enamel over three coats of flat white.
A scale manufacturer wondered why his market didn’t grow as he thought it should. He made good scales—accurate and thoroughly finished. But they were painted black. Scales had always been painted black. But one day someone told him that white would be better. He hadn’t thought of it, but he determined to try it. He tried two colors—white and light blue. And his sales increased faster than he had previously thought they should.
A small town implement dealer was stuck with a yellow-wheeled wagon. No one liked yellow wheels. So he repainted them a brilliant red and the wagon was sold the following week.
Color determines the value of many commodities. You could sell a black buggy with red wheels, but few would buy a red body and black wheels. Folks aren’t accustomed to things in reverse from the usual in most cases, though in other cases reverse is the magnet which produces results—as did the light colored scales.
Gas ranges used to be all black. Now they are made with enamelled parts of white or light blue, and many of them are done in all white and light blue. A hardware man made the statement that he sold three oil heaters with a light blue cylinder to one with a black cylinder.
Women demand white kitchens with white enamel sinks. They want white refrigerators and white bread and cake boxes. Prospective mothers will insist upon a light blue or light pink basinette for the expected babe.
So many things sold broadcast are painted black—black handles on dust brushes and wire potato mashers, on tack claws, on vacuum cleaners. Why? Color makes sales. Why not use it?