EP1078589A2 - Retail sales aid - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed a sales aid, intended to assist in the sale of a gentleman's shirt, comprising a device (11) simulating at least the front collar portions (22,23,24,25) of a gentleman's suit and behind which a selected shirt (5) may be positioned to enable a potential purchaser to judge the appearance of shirt and suit together. <IMAGE>

Description

This invention concerns a retail sales aid, and more particularly one intended to assist in the sale of gentlemen's shirts.

A number of retailers of gentlemen's shirts have noted that their customers are keen to ensure that a shirt which they are about to purchase will look good with the suit with which they intend to wear it. Generally, the customer is not wearing the suit in question at the time - most working men tend to shop for clothes at the weekend when they are likely to be in casual dress. The result is passage of unnecessary long periods of time at the point of sale or request for purchase on a sale or return basis - all very unsatisfactory for the retailer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sales aid which helps to overcome the problems aforesaid.

According to the present invention, there is provided a sales aid, intended to assist in the sale of a gentleman's shirt, comprising a device simulating at least the front collar portions of a gentleman's suit and behind which a selected shirt may be positioned to enable a potential purchaser to judge the appearance of shirt and suit together.

Of course, at the point of sale, there will be a number of such devices from which the customer can select the one most nearly resembling the suit for which he is wanting a "matching" shirt.

The device may comprise an open-topped box whose front wall simulates the suit front and which has a portion of V-shape cut away from its front wall through which a shirt will be seen against the surrounding suit when the shirt is positioned in the box.

The front of the box may be of trapezium shape having outwardly sloping sides and a top edge wider than its bottom edge.

The suit simulation may be by fabric positioned over the front face of the box and formed with shoulder portions and front collar portions.

The suit simulation may be of two separate laterally adjacent halves arranged in overlapping relationship.

Buttons may be sewn to the forward most half in the overlapping region.

The box may upstand from a base board.

The invention will be further apparent from the following description, with reference to the several figures of the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of example only, one form of aid embodying same.

Of the drawings:-

Figure 1

is a front perspective view of the aid;

Figure 2

is a cross-section through the aid on the line II-II of Figure 1; and

Figure 3

is a front elevation of the aid when in use.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the aid comprises a rectangular base 10 for example of a polished hardwood such as mahogany and which mounts an upstanding box-like structure 11.

The box-like structure 11 has an open top 12 and comprises front and rear walls 13 and 14 respectively of trapezium shape, having outwardly sloping sides 15 and 16 and a top edge 17 wider than the bottom edge 18, and strip- like side walls 19 and 20.

The front wall 13 has a V-shaped cut-out 21 extending downwardly from its top edge 17 and is "dressed" with fabric adhered thereto to simulate the upper front portion of a gentleman's suit, including opposed overlapping lateral halves 22 and 23 , each having a shoulder part 24 and a collar part 25, there being buttons 26 in the overlapping region.

At the point sale there will be several aids as described above from which a customer may select the one most nearly matching the suit for which he seeks to buy a shirt. His choice of shirt S may then be slipped into the box-like structure 11 of his selected aid - usually accompanied by a necktie N - (see Figure 3) to enable him to judge the appearance of selected suit and chosen shirt together.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, being possible, without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Of course the aids loaded with shirts selected by the retailer may comprise or form part of a window display.

Claims (7)

1. A sales aid, intended to assist in the sale of a gentleman's shirt, comprising a device simulating at least the front collar portions of a gentleman's suit and behind which a selected shirt may be positioned to enable a potential purchaser to judge the appearance of shirt and suit together.
2. An aid according to claim 1 comprising an open-topped box whose front wall simulates the suit front and which has a portion of V-shape cut away from its front wall through which a shirt will be seen against the surrounding suit when the shirt is positioned in the box.
3. An aid according to claim 2 wherein the front of the box is of trapezium shape having outwardly sloping sides and a top edge wider than its bottom.
4. An aid according to any preceding claim wherein the suit simulation is fabric positioned over the front face of the box and formed with shoulder portions and front collar portions.
5. An aid according to claim 4 wherein the suit simulation is of two separate laterally adjacent halves arranged in overlapping relationship.
6. An aid according to claim 5 wherein buttons are sewn to the forward most half in the overlapping region.
7. An aid according to any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the box upstands from a base board.

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