of the store, the nature of its trade and the
personality of its proprietor."

Sam's interest was excited. This point of view was new to him, but he
could see the truth of it and he was impatient to get at the heart of
the matter as far as his own store was concerned.

"You're right," he said, "about the personality and individuality of a
store; and for that reason don't tell me to put the furnishing goods
shelving down the middle of the store. This is a clothing store and
not a haberdashery."

"Mr. Lambert," said the salesman, "you have hit the nail squarely on
the head. This is a double room, a very different problem from that of
a single store. I looked over the place of one of your competitors
this morning. He also has a double store with much the same
arrangement as yours and I find that he is making a mistake--adopting
a plan that is about five years behind the times.

"You see, in the earlier days of the wardrobe, there was no such thing
as a center wardrobe. Therefore the clothing had to be hung against
the wall in pull-out cabinets. When the clothing went to the side
walls the furnishings had to move to the center floor space.

"Such an arrangement is not practical for a double store and the
effect is bad. It kills the first impression of a big store. The
shelving will look bare if it is not trimmed, and if it is trimmed
your big double room looks like two small stores divided by a wall.

"The center shelving will always have stock boxes piled on top and
that will throw one side of the store always in shadow. Besides, this
arrangement divides the trade and screens half of it from view.

"The stock is cut in two and looks small.

"One salesman can not wait on the furnishing goods trade without
neglecting half of it all the time. If you have two clerks, a customer
must be taken from one side to the other for his ties or underwear,
and there you are again, both on one side at the same time.

"If another customer came along they'd have to stop in the middle of a
sale and refer him to a clerk around in the other aisle.

"A furnishing goods department should be continuous. The sale of a
shirt will lead to the purchase of a tie or a collar or hosiery. The
goods should be in sight so that they automatically suggest
themselves.

"You enter this store and the first impression you get is a big
clothing store. That is what you want. Clothing dominates the store.
Furnishing goods and hats are important and nece