Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-01
IT DRAWS THE PEOPLE.
KAUFMANNs' CLEVER PLAN FOR FILL
ING THEIR STORE.


A System of Free Dfstribution That Seems
to Have Caught the Popular Fancy
Goods Given Away to Customers Every
Five Minutes Of the Day.
The Kaufmanus have hit upon wonder
fully unique scheme of advertising their
goods They adopted a system OF free dis
trioution of merchandise last Monday which
they proposed to run for one week, but it
has proved SO successful that they have de-
cided to give their customers another oppor-
tunlty to try their luck during the coming
week. From o'clock last Monday morn
ing up to the closing hour last night they
had given away over 81, 900 worth OF goods.
The system of distribution is very SIM
pie one. Whatever amount of money first
reaches the cashiers desk, on the first floor,
Immediately after the expiration of every
tive minutes after o'clock in the morning
is Immediately handed back to the Gus
toner. 1t makes no difference whether the
amount be so cents or $50. the customer gets
his goods for nothing. All money for pur-
chases are sent to the cashier In little cash
carriers through pneumatic tubes. Stand
ing at the cashiers window is clerk with
watch in hand. Every five minutes he
taps bell, and the first carrier that drops
lucky purchaser. The party is called, the
money handed back, and happy customer
leaves tine store.
There is no doubt of the fairness of the
scheme. The people who are buying cannot
tell what their luck may be, nor can there
be any collusion with the people who receive
the little cash boxes or with the clerk who
calls the time. BY actual count there are
given away under this five minutes rule 108
purchases between the hours of 9 A. M. and
P. M. Yesterday cash was returned to 166
persons.
That this free distribution has been most
popular is shown by the crowds that daily
fill the mammoth store. The list of lucky
buyers is :printed each day in The Dis
patch. The members of the firm, while
acknowledging that it is rather an e1-
pensiye way of advertising, are satisfied that
it pays them in the long run. It is busl-
ness venture, which, thorgh costly at first,
pays them by attracting thousands of buyers
which tends largely to reduce the stock of
fall and winter goods. A member of the
firm said yesterday that the increased sales
mean q saving to them of about s., 900 in
insurance, $4,000 in interest, gives them
plenty of room tor new spring goods, and en-
ables them to lay in an entirely new and
fresh stock next fall.
beginning WIN t0-m0rrOw morning at
five minutes after o'clock the free distribu-
ton will continue every five minutes until
o'clock in the evening each day, and on
Saturday evening until 10 O'Clock.
The interest that is taken In this novel
mode of drawing people to this popular
house is we'll illustrated, not only by the
throngs on the several floors, but by the
crowds that stand about the cashiers win
dow and watch the lucky cash receiver as it
pops from the tube. If they have not
already tried their luck the temptation is
too great for them to resist, and they forth
with proceed to make a purchase. 1t is
amusing to see some who watch the
timekeeper closely, and when they think
they have just time to make a purchase
and have their cash reach the office as the
bell rings. rush to a counter and buy some
thing, no matter what. And sometimes
they ''get there" too. Still, all have an
equal chance for, as stated above, nothing
could be more fair than this system of free
distribution.