SHOP EXHIBITION.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20215, 18 April 1931, Page 10

SHOP EXHIBITION.

I - EMPIRE MARKETING BOARD'jS ' DISPLAY. . . (IROV OU* OW*r COHESaPONMBT.) . LONDON, March 12. All who were associated with the Recent Empire Marketing Board shop "at Birmingham hare been enthusiasitio regarding its success. New Zealand, it may be recalled,. had . the ' tenancy for a fortnight, during part.' of which time the British Industries j 'Trade Fair (Birmingham section) was! in progress. This meant that m-.j numberable visitors from many ' countries were interested in the shop j and its varied contents. ' , : The New Zealand display in ths spacious premises was one of the* best ■ever got together, and, the sales of samples proved very gratifying in the .opinion "-of the High Commissioners Department, and of ths Various New Zealand Produce Board#' '.-'-meat, ; butter, and honey. In addition to the sale of nearly 30,000 samples, there were numerous enquiries for tongues,, toheroas, dried milk, and |other products special to the Dominf° Interested onlookers—and therefore ipiaiiy—often still wonder why there pro toot attractive shops . permanently .established in good-class localities ,n centres of industry, stocked with products of the Dominions,- either individually or collectively. For there are manv uncommon commodities produced in the Empire, 'in, addition to the more usual -Jiigh .class- goods, .that would always ensure the attention of discerning customers. In London the shopper is better provided for perhaps, for . there are certainly half-a-dozen ■ noted stores which always do carry adequate supplies of Empire products,* displav them with taste; and sell them for what they are. Sometimes there are criticisms that the lesser known goods are not sacked in attractive containers: sometimes the difficulty is that supplies of such are too limited to make the creation of a demand i worth while. . j Nevertheless, people , whov know' or | the excellence of butter;' lamb, cheese, i honey, apples, tongues from New Zea« land ; of the fine qualitv of fruits— 1 • fresh and dried—from Australia and South Africa; of the arrowroot from: the "West Indies; of the cereals, fruit, honey, etc.j from Canada; of the' dairy products- and- honey ;from Ireland; of the spices- from India—and there are other instances too numerous to tabulate—would much rather buy them' if they were' always • available and always prominently shown.' ■ >

Some shopkeepers do not . seem .to* >e interested; others do not'see* why .hey should push Empire goods in areference to -articles of ' forcien pro-: duction; others,, again, think it would not be». profitable or that their customers; want cheaper things.