The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-10-02
THEY DON'T KNOW.
The Big Mail Order Houses and the
Country Retailer.

The Big MAIL Order AhouSe" "
Country Retailer.
cry Ia going up all over the country tnat
the big mail order houses with their ponoer.
Gus catalogues are driving the country realler
out OF existence.
In almost every recent convention OF state
Associations someone has risen 10 eXp'aln.
And the paint is usually this: we can
sell just as cheaply apd IN some cases Snetpel "s
THAI the mail order houses, aud yet our Gus.
temers persist in hendiug their money away
from home, In paying freight charges, ana SO
on, IN selecting from catalogue insieao oi
the goods themselves. The trouole 10 a,; unai
they don't know that We can 90 JusI as "eH
or better for Them Ut home" ..o
The last sentence tells the whole story-lhe
people don't know.
The mai-order house sends lts calalosue
with It's alIuring low ces-."why Jones never
advertised any prices ike that inc
order IL sent out OF town.
The retailer would feel aggrieved II any
body were to intimate 10 MIN lnat tne ihaii i
order house away of in the big cities had
more classified knowledge about the people
In his territory than he possessed himself.
Yet he sees the results OF that knowledge
every day-catalOgues sent into MS loWn
and perslstently followed up Win goou liIefa-
ture until orders result.
How many ~ see 10 1t that they not only have
such list, but that the people on that ilst are
kept constantly In MIND OF the TACT that tney
seli certain things al such and such prices
The retailer has the remedy for this mall
ordel nightmare in his own hands.
Study the methods OF the mail order houses
Its queer game that Two can't play At, you
know.
Ifyou have any inducements TO offer that
will keep trade at home-don't Keep gooo
thing TO yourself tell your customers ABOUT
n you can sell goods as cheaply or cheaper
than the mail order houses-your money
drawer won't show 1t, II NOBODY OUTSIDE OF
yourself knows 1t.
Now here's a Straightforward question !:
w hat are you doing TO keep trade at home?
Are you talking interestingly In your
newspapers about the new goods that just t
cost, what good store you have, about your
bright, clean stock, and how well you can
serve our trade?
and pay the printer for producing hand
some little booklet?
Do you ever get out little paper OF your
own, aud fill its columns with bright and
chatly talk about your goods end service ?
Does your trade know AS much about your
store as IL does about the inside VI the dig
mail-order house catalogue7
Answer these questions satisfactorily, and
there won't be 80 much talk aboutthe ruin
oIs competition" OF the mail order houses.
Fight them with their own weapons-good
Have a well-kept mailing list, just as they
do.
Buy as much newspaper space as you can
afford, and fill IL with good business talk
store news.
Send Cut a little booklet at certain seasons.
Have some little package slips prin nted and
see that on e goes out with each bundle.
Take half dozen articles from the cata.
logues, quote the catalogue prices and pnt
your own prices beside them.
Show your trade the folly Of ordering goods
by mail, paying freight charges, ETC., when
they can buy Them just as cheap'y OF you,
have the actual goods 10 select from, and
keep their money 1t home.
Don't call on their town prlde-thats Whin.
ing-give them good aud sound reasons, hard
dollar reasons. Why they should buy OF you
instead OF the mail order houses.
Be up aud doing, blow your n rn, lniuse
some new enthusiasm Iut0 your advertising.
Show he people OF your town that you are
yer! much, alive that your goods are Just as
up O-date, and fresh as any they cup buy
out of town.
And 30 you will live coutent In the enjoy
meuL oil the trade that Is yours by right.
Benjamin SherbUw.
Philadelphia.