The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-25

snAnB AN$oS A<@ycs
In recent number of business mag
azine somebody gives vigorous express
sion to his Views of some advertisers'
oft-made claims OF selling "at cost" He
says: "You don't sell 'at cost You
know you doit. You know. further
more. that you would be an idiot II you
ala. So does everybody else. To advcr-
tlse therefore that you are selling at
cost, or, worse still, below cost, Is a lie
so patent that instead OF deceiving 1t
simply advertises you as unable to lie
with skill"
L beg to differ with the writer OF those
lines, and TO array myself on the side
OF the honest merchant who often sells
at cost, and below cost, and advertises
that he Is doing so.
Whether he who SO easily gives the
lie TO all lat cost advertisements re-
fers to steady, all-the- time selling. at
cost or below: of few things In the
stock, or to special selling, at cost or be-
low, OF a limited quantity OF some one
thing or an unlimited quantity TO be
sold in a limited time. he is wrong. l
have personal knowledge of store
where, in a new department.. number
OF things in common and frequent de-
mand were sold, month after month. at
bare cost, and sometimes at slight
loss. Twas done TO increase sales or
other goods in that and other depart
ments. There was no trick about it
no marking up OF goods for which this
special selling was intended to increase
the demand. II was Just straight,
everyday selling, at cost and below,
and IL brought large results that were
easily traceable to II.
This same store-a department store
on small scale--appropriated twenty
five dollars each week, for weeks in
succession, to be lost, as he who cries
'1ie' would probably regard 1t. in a
special sale.
For each OF these special sales a suf-
ficient quantity of some useful and
necessary kitchen article was pur-
chased and placed In tts proper depart
ment at the rear OF the store. Great
care was taken in every case that the
quality of the article offered was surely
all right. and that the special price was
half. or less than half OF the lowest
regular price of such goods.
The special was advertised each week
day or two in advance, with the
quantity or time limit plainly stated.
and at the hour named for the sale 10
commence. hundreds OF enthusiastic
housewives were on hand for the bar
gain, and those hundreds continued to
| talk OF their bargains for weeks.
Every one who bought at those sales
had to pass and repass large and at
| tractively arranged stocks of every
day household needs and necessities
and while. in their eagerness for the
bargain, many passed without giving
those stocks much attention. the re-
| passing was more deliberate, and the
profit paying goods In all departments
| got attention that easily Offset, in di-
rect profits, the loss on the special.
These special sales paid another
| ppofit, too the profit that comes to any
reliable advertiser through getting in
creased attention to his advertisements
| for that stores advertisements were
| carefully watched by the towns bar
| gain loving women. and were read BY
| them, from head lines to signatures, fol-
| special announcements.
| OF course. an advertisement offering
| goods at cost or below will find some
| doubters. and the store that does sucf
| advertising must have an excellent
record for keeping its printed promises
| or the advertising will he more hurtfu
| than helpful. But II can not be sue.
| cessfully disputed that lots of big
l reputable. successful stores have sole
new goods at cost and below righ
| along. day after day, year In and year
| out, and have found 1t easy in this way
| to make money by losing IL.
| have ii from generally recognized
| authority in such matters that one OF
New York's big stores frequently spend.
| hundreds to advertise goods. the sale ol
which at the special price will lose then
thousands. don't doubt it. don't be-
| lieve anybody who knows anythinf
| about the most profitable kinds oi
| special sales will.
| Many merchant Is glad. and wisely
| glad, to sell shop-worn or damaged OF
| out-of-style merchandise at cost or be.
low. and often feels favored il he get.
| back half the first cost for such goods
| Many a merchant counts the selling a.
| cost or below, of a good article-some
thing bought for the purpose--as one o
| the best possible ways of advertising
| Certain IL is there are many truthful
| advertisements hung on the pegs of "a
| cost and below cost"
| You do sell at cost, and often below
| cost. If you're good merchant. You'c
| be an idiot IL you didn't.-John A. Ker
shaw, in Printers Ink.