Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-10-26

Il il too often the case that wholesale
merchants, departing from their proper
routine Of business, penny wise And
pound foolish, do, 10 greater or less
extent, a retail business. to the injury Of
their proper eustomers-th retail lner'
chants. To what extent this is practiced
here we are not fully apprised. Bat,
more or less, il is so much damage to
their wholesale business. Retail mer-
chants are unable to do business profit
ably, when the wholesale dealer will
underbid them in the same market in the
sale Of single packages at less than the
prices at which retail merchants, who
purchase from them, can make living
profit. And hence il is in part that retail
merchants OF the country are induced to
20 BY our doors to other markets, where
they can buy at nearly the same rates
paid by the Wholesale dealer himself
So Memphis is injured, and its whole
sale business consequently, and to not
uncomfortable extent, abolished. Let
wholesale merchants take the hint, If
they would do q legitimate business, and
bring the country and city retail pur-
chasers to their doors. There is no
sense in a pretended Wholesale business,
which, on the small temptation Of apres-
ent penny, abandons the pound profit
of large and commanding custom.
And we do not blame retailers If they
refuse to buy at any price a dollars
worth from such houses. Placards and
inc promises are nothing. A practical
conformity to the principles and rules Of
legitimate business is what is wanted. A
handbill advertisement in newspaper,
whether for Wholesale or retail house,
like a handful thrust in ones face, or a
lying placard on store door, only
drives away sensible customers, who are
appraised that the honorable observance
of business rules, and modest adver-
tisement of their business in the usual
form, is the custom Of the best and most
reliable merchants. Such men as are
most trustworthy resort least to such
extreme means OF procuring business,
and the best customers know 1t, and
avoid the extremists as quacks in
business Wholesale merchants who
retail, and retail merchants who make
flaming promises Of low prices, and give
their goods away in order to do large
business, experience has proved to be the
least advantageous agents in the long
run. whether between the manufacturer
and the retailer. or the jobber and
consumer. We commend to the at
tention of our merchants the following
from the Chicago Commercial Express;
One Of the most common objects of
observation in those portions OF the city
occupied by the Wholesale trade, the
lower portion of Lake street, as well as
Michigan and Wabash avenues, is the
placard at door or window, or promi-
nently placed within the store, No
Goods at Retail" Some go so far as to
add the words, DO Not Ask For It,"
We suppose that many persons not in
trade think this is very strange. Why
should jobbers refuse to retail if they
have opportunity Why should they
not share 10 retailer increased profit
WHY should they not take larger stores,
remove to retail streets, and do other
great things in small way
That which is so mysterious to the
general public is well understood by the
traders of the country. The
legitimate business of the jobber is to
supply the retailers with stock, at the
smallest margin of profit over produc-
finn. 40 that the latter can sell at profit |
10 cover all risks and expenses incident
10 the business, and have reasonable |
surplus. The legitimate business OF the
iobber is TO build up and protect retailers
n their trade with the community at
arge, not only by the jobber refraining
entirely from retailing himself, but by
from the general public IN
ZONE degree the prices at which retailers
IRE able to supply themselves. :,
Intelligent retailers know very well
hat If jobbers combine wholesale and
.etaiI business, the effort to push the lat
er branch of the business creates and
the constant temptation to
over the prices and profit on retail
FOODS, ard that just SO far as q jobber
Toes this be exerts himself to damage
md destroy every retailer in the country
xithin reach Of his influence. Ordinary |
-etailers cannot compete with jobbers in
prices, if the latter choose to 90 into the
.etaiI business against them.
These are some of the reasons tor the
prevalent placard--No Goods at Retail.
A great many jobbers who do not hang
lp the placard, cannot be induced to re-
all goods, and have so long adhered to
he principle, that they know there is no
hanger of their being solicited to do 1t.
A great many retailers are fully con.
viueed that their true policy is to deal
exclusively with jobbers who do net re-
All. and who thus avoid all temptations
10 underseI and destroy the regular re-