Published in 1841, famous novel, The Old Curiosity Shop, by Charles Dickens, was greeted with the same hysteria as the recent novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling, more than 160 years later. Historians say this is the only modern comparison they can find to the readers' reaction back in the 19th century.The excitement was witnessed on both sides of the Atlantic, after the novel was first serialised in Dickens' weekly periodical, Master Humphrey's Clock. Readers were desperate to read the next instalment to find out if the heroine survived - and in America, they were waiting on the docks for the shipment to find out!The plot and some of the characters were said to be based on the author's own impoverished upbringing and people he had met in his younger years. OriginsCharles' parents, who lived in Portsmouth, were an outgoing, sociable couple, who enjoyed entertaining, functions and dinner parties, but sadly they didn't have the means to fund their lifestyle. His father, John Dickens, who was a clerk in the Navy payroll office, had amassed numerous debts and spent time in a debtors' prison.The family moved to London and Charles' mother, Elizabeth, opened a girls' school, but that wasn't a success and they remained poor. Charles was one of eight children and had to leave school at 12 because the family had no money.While his father was in prison, Charles worked in a factory to support the family, as he was the second oldest child. Despite not having a formal education, he grew up to be a talented writer and his early experiences of poverty shaped many of his novels' plots and characters.Writing in his spare time, the author became a political journalist reporting on Parliamentary debate, while renting rooms at Furnival's Inn, London.He was only 29 when he wrote The Old Curiosity Shop, but was already a respected writer, having written his first story, A Dinner at Poplar Walk, for publication in Monthly Magazine in 1833. The Old Curiosity ShopDickens wrote The Old Curiosity Shop in 1840, with the plot revolving around Nell Trent (better known as Little Nell) who lives in London with her grandfather. He runs an antiques shop, hence the novel's title. Nell is a beautiful and virtuous orphan, who is only 13, but has few friends and leads a lonely existence.Her grandfather is not well off and Nell worries that when he's gone, she will die in poverty. In a misguided attempt to make money for her future, he begins gambling and ends up heavily in debt to vicious money-lender Daniel Quilp. He loses the shop due to being unable to pay his debts and he and Nell end up homeless on the streets of London.While wandering all over Victorian London, begging, they live a harsh life, but eventually they are helped by an old man who takes pity on them and finds them somewhere to live in a quiet town on the outskirts.When their life seems to be turning around, it has all been too much for Nell, who dies. This was the first time one of Dickens' heroines had died at the end of the book and it sparked outrage! Public demonstrationWhile the book was being serialised (before it was made into a novel), fans had been clamouring for the next edition. The magazines were shipped out to America and it was reported that the cliff hanger endings of each episode led to fans gathering at the docks to eagerly snap up the next edition.By the time the final instalment was due to arrive, their mood had reached fever pitch. It was reported that fans waited on the docks at New York harbour, shouting to the crew of incoming British ships, "Is little Nell dead?"The decision to kill Nell was hugely unpopular among readers. This was the first time the author had killed his leading lady and it was contrary to public taste. Readers liked a happy ending.In fact, the unexpected death caused such a sensation that there was a public demonstration against Dickens and an outpouring of anger! However, the character was said to be based on a real person and her demise had been inevitable, due to the author's state of mind when writing The Old Curiosity Shop. Nell's backgroundAlthough the author had managed to stave off the threat of homelessness by finding work when his father was in debtors' prison, he knew what it was like to have nothing.The character of Nell was said to be based on his wife's sister, who had died at an early age. Dickens had married Catherine Thomson Hogarth, daughter of the Evening Chronicle's editor, George Hogarth, in April 1836. They took up residence at 48 Doughty Street, London.They also provided a home for Dickens' younger brother Frederick and Catherine's little sister Mary, who was 16 at the time. Dickens had known Mary since she was 14 and was very attached to her. However, she became unwell at the age of 17 and died very suddenly, in his arms. She was believed to have suffered heart failure or a stroke.The shock of her death severely affected Dickens. He even stopped working for a period and he and Catherine temporarily moved to a farm on Hampstead Heath to recuperate. At the time, Dickens had been writing Oliver Twist and had based the character of Rose Maylie, Oliver's maternal aunt, on Mary.He had planned on killing Maylie in the story, but couldn't bring himself to do so now Mary had died in real life, so he changed the plot. It was also said that he based several of his delicate, young, female characters on Mary, including Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop and Florence Dombey in Dombey and Son.He was so distraught over Mary's death that he missed the deadlines for two of his books that were being published in instalments - Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist. So the outrage caused by Nell's death in The Old Curiosity Shop paled into insignificance, as Dickens was suffering extreme grief at the time. Critics' receptionWhile the fans were angry about the book's ending, the critics had different views. It was described as "melodramatic" and "maudlin" by some.It was reported that the Irish political leader, Daniel O'Connell, was so anguished when he read the ending that he threw the book in disgust out of the train window on which he was travelling.The poet Algernon Swinburne was less than impressed that Nell appeared to have died after her arduous journey through the streets of London, after showing signs of "melancholy". He wrote that she was an "inhuman monster", as her actions of sitting in a graveyard towards the end of the book, followed by her death when she appeared to have simply given up, also led to the death of her devoted grandfather.Writer Oscar Wilde had a different view and found the ending unbelievable, saying anyone who had read of the unexpected death of Little Nell would have dissolved into "tears of laughter".Despite the criticisms, however, the book remains a classic today and Dickens will forever be one of the greatest authors in history. Shopfront windowsAlthough The Old Curiosity Shop is a wonderful novel, in today's challenging and competitive retail environment, shopkeepers need to have an edge over their rivals.Commercial Aluminium Shopfronts (CAS) supplies and installs high-quality shopfront windows and facades that will give your retail premises a contemporary and inviting feel. Please contact us for details of our products and services - we'd love to talk to you!

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The importance of eye-catching window displays in today's challenging retail environment can't be over-emphasised. With high street stores facing stiff competition from online shopping, in addition to the uncertainty posed by Brexit, retailers need all the help they can get to survive the current climate.The retail sector needs to find innovative ways to make window displays more appealing and give them the "wow" factor! While social media campaigns and print advertising have their place, one thing that should always remain in the marketing budget is the window display. Attract window-shoppersThere's a good reason why a fabulous window display is so important - and that's because it works! While the retail sector changes over the years, the use of window displays has remained a proven winner. Brands understand the importance of attracting window-shoppers, connecting with potential new customers and keeping loyal followers interested.If you create an inspirational, high-impact, memorable display that engages the consumer, this will help drive sales. In order to engage at the bricks and mortar retail level, stores must produce displays that showcase not only the brand but also the feeling and lifestyle that are behind it.It's a chance to display your unique personality, turning the heads of passers-by, as you compete with brands of all sizes. The best window display should have the power to engage shoppers enough to make them stop, look back and walk into your store.Before you begin, know your budget - even if you don't have enough money to hire a professional merchandiser, it's possible to create a DIY display that's just as eye-catching, as long as you take the time to do so properly. This means thinking of a theme and researching your design within your budget before you physically do anything. Know your goalDecide what the goal of your window display is - is it to promote a new product, a new style for your brand, or to target a different audience? A good way to start when thinking up a design is to start with a simple pen and paper and sketch some ideas, based on a theme.Your display should tell a basic story, as it's a fact that storytelling is a successful strategic business tool. Research by Keith Quesenberry and Michael Coolsen, published in The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice in 2014, focused on brands’ use of various strategies to sell products.They concluded that regardless of whether advertisers used cute animals or celebrities, plot development was an integral part of advertising. Quesenberry says this is because humans are social creatures who relate to other people. We've been communicating through stories for around 20,000 years, since the days of cave walls. Begin with a themeWith a window display, it helps to begin with a theme, then use storytelling to turn it into something more interesting. Think what makes you different from other retailers (your competitors) and capitalise on this.When you feel your idea's ready in the conceptual stage, make sure you have the basic tools you need to get started in physically designing the window display. These should include scissors, tape measure, stapler, hammer and nails, double-sided tape, penknife, screwdriver and screws, glue gun, pencil, pen, marker pen and notepad. Also, you will need non-merchandise items to use as props.When you've completed your rough sketch, start putting it into practice, but don't forget to step out into the street to see how it looks from the point of view of passers-by. Decide whether you can add elements suspended from the ceiling, how big your central, focal point should be and how big the overall display should be so that it can even grab shoppers' attention from the other side of the street. Eye-level focal pointAlways keep the focal point at eye level, whether you're dangling decorative items from the ceiling, stacking them pyramid-style or placing them on pedestals. Remember to make a fast impression - most people glance at a window for only 2.5 seconds before walking by, according to a study in the US by Scott Day, of Urban Development Services. You must grab their attention with an eye-catching display.Finally, make sure you change your window display regularly. If you're always busy, changing your window display may not be top of your list of things to do, but it should be!Commercial Aluminium Shopfronts (CAS) provides glass/glazed shop fronts, architectural entrances, façade design and shopfront design services. We stand for expertise, high quality and value for money, pledging unrivalled customer service and reliable after-sales care.For window displays that really pack a punch, contact us for further details of our range of products and services.

Still Open All Hours, the spin-off show from the BBC's famous 1970s sitcom, Open All Hours, is returning for a fifth series later this year. The plot revolves around the staff and customers of an old-fashioned corner shop in Doncaster, Yorkshire.Again, the series will star David Jason as Granville, nephew of the original grocery shop-owner, Arkwright, played by the late Ronnie Barker. Granville was a young, good-natured but rather dull-witted employee in Open All Hours when it was first screened in 1973.He now owns the shop, that has retained all of its traditional charm – he even wears his late uncle's old-fashioned beige cloth coat to protect his clothing. Veteran actor Jason says he's thrilled to be returning to our screens with the new series, which will be broadcast later this year.He described Granville and Arkwright's shop (and its regular customers) as bringing their "own sense of barminess" to the grocery world. Still Open All Hours is created and written by Roy Clarke, who brought the pilot show of Open All Hours to our screens 45 years ago. BackgroundOpen All Hours attracted around 17 million viewers every week and was one of the BBC's most famous and enduring sitcoms in history. Clarke, who also wrote Last of the Summer Wine, based Arkwright's on a small shop he remembered from his youth.Barker came up with Arkwright's character once the setting was in place, portraying him as a penny-pinching skinflint who was always trying to make money by cutting corners. Even though it was dangerous due to the drawer snapping shut, he even refused to repair the broken till because of the cost. He claimed it was a burglar deterrent!The pilot show for Open All Hours was broadcast on 25th March 1973 and was an instant hit. As well as Arkwright and Granville, the other regulars included Arkwright's love interest, Gladys, the district nurse, played by Lynda Baron, who didn't return his affections.The regular customers included Stephanie Cole as the dour Delphine Featherstone and Maggie Ollerenshaw as ditherer Mavis, who was always fretting about what soup she should buy.Clarke revealed Arkwright's was based on a small shop in Thornbury called LE Riddiford - a place he had visited as a young man. He said the real shop's owner, Len Riddiford, was nothing like Arkwright - he was a lovely man!The packed shelves in Arkwright's contained a selection of goods in glorious disarray, including old-fashioned cakes, tinned fruits and mops and buckets, in no particular order. Fresh fruit and veg were displayed outside in open boxes on a long table, while other items hung on hooks above. FilmingIn real life, the exterior of Arkwright's was the Beautique hair salon, in the Yorkshire town of Balby. The BBC thought the shop had the perfect look for Open All Hours and paid salon owner Helen Ibbotson to close to customers in the summer, so that filming could take place.A fake sign was erected outside, and the packed window display would be a jumble of tinned foods. It created a genuine 1970s feel, stirring nostalgic memories for older viewers today.The authenticity of the shop front was particularly important, since the action regularly took place outside, including Arkwright's reflection on the day's events at the end of each episode, when he would stand outside talking to himself as be took the stock in for the night. EpisodesThe original Open All Hours ran for four series, comprising 26 episodes, from 1973 until 1985. Each episode was a self-contained plot, with the same genre of gentle humour that had typified Last of the Summer Wine.The humour was frequently visual, such as in the episode when Arkwright had misspelled the word 'special' with an 'O' when he painted a promotional sign on his window at the start of the day's business.As the camera pans in on Arkwright, who is painting directly on the exterior window pane, viewers chuckle when they see that it reads, 'Today's speciol'.Granville also picks up on this and laughingly points out the error to Arkwright. However, Arkwright tells his nephew, "We're not trying to educate them, we're trying to lure them in!"He then admits he's misspelt it deliberately as part of a clever marketing ploy, explaining it doesn't matter to the customers who can't spell, as they will come in anyhow to see what's on offer.Arkwright says there will be "28 clever dicks who would've walked straight by" who will now come in to point out the sign is misspelt, thus becoming potential customers! "Once they've crossed that doorway, I'll 'ave 'em!" he says gleefully. Still Open All HoursViewers never forgot Open All Hours and the re-runs attracted great viewing figures, so in 2013, the BBC announced a 40th anniversary one-off special by Clarke. Unfortunately, Barker had died eight years earlier, so the plot revolved around Granville who had inherited the shop from Arkwright.This too proved popular and became a spin-off series in its own right, Still Open All Hours, in 2014, with six new episodes broadcast. There have now been four series of the new show, containing 27 episodes so far. The BBC said series five was being filmed throughout the summer of 2018, with plans to screen it later this year. Modern shopfrontsAlthough Arkwright's general store is a wonderful place (an Aladdin's Cave of antiquated treasures), today's retailers are looking for a modern feel to attract customers in an ever-changing environment.Research has shown that a massive 95% of customers are influenced by a business's exterior, with more than half (52%) saying they would be deterred from going into a shop if the exterior looked uninviting.For instant kerb appeal, contact Commercial Aluminium Shopfronts (CAS). We stand for expertise, value for money, high quality and unrivalled customer service, with reliable after-sales care.If you’re looking to improve your retail prowess, contact us today.