The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-07-23
A TALK ABOUT TRADING.

We have been requested, on different
occasions. to say something about the
practice of patronizing the large mail
order houses of the cities, instead OF
patronizilg the home merchant. says
the Harlan American. There are two
sides to the matter and we want to say
something on both.
First, it might be asked why it is
that such firms as Montgomery. Ward
& Co., Sears, Roebuck & Co. and SINH
lar firms get the great volume OF bust
ness they do.
They certainly don't pack their goods
away in a back room and then sit down
and wait for people to inquire what
they've got to sell and how much it
costs. They make tia point to let peo-
pie know what they have for sale and
at what price. In other words they adj
v%ertise. They spend thousands of dol
lars in getting up catalogues Of prices
and getting them before their prospec-
tive buyers. Prices SELL" it is said,
but prices don't sell unless people know
what they are. How are people going
to find out your prices unless you tell
them? They find it embarrassing to
come into your store and ask for the
price of dozens of things they may not
be in immediate need Of, The merchant
must make it a point to let his pros
pectlve buyer know the price of those
articles he may want to buy.
So much has been said about patron
izing home trade, that is is useless to
repeat the arguments, not because they
are unsound, but because they are be-
coming old and stale. Besides, many
OF them are mostly of a sentimental ma
ture, and sentiment doesn't affect bust
ness transactions to any great degree.
A business man must compete with his
competitor. And it isn't prices alone
in which he must compete, it is quail
ty, also, and it may be in advertising.
/ have noticed that the progressive
merchant who makes a study OF ad-
vertising and of getting his prices be-
|'fore the people, is not the man who
complains OF the mail order houses. He
is generally too busy to complain,
Those who complain most are they who
never spend any money for advertising
and use the advertising stationery sent
out free by progressive houses who
spend money to get trade, instead of
getting stationery printed at home to
advertise their own business.
"Patronize home trade is a good
maxim, but it applies to the merchant
as well as to the other fellow. To those
dealers who feel that they are not get
ting their share OF trade because OF
the mail order business, we would say
try the same mthods OF advertising used
by the mail order house. We know
that You can compete with them both
in quality and price, on the am terms,
but o must let the people know about
it. Many of us, you know, are from
Missouri, and must be shown.
But this is only one side OF the case
There is another. Now listen, you la
dies and gentlemen, who send to Chica-
go or Omaha for your cash orders. A
new church is to be built in the com
munity. The first thing the trustees
think about is to go to the. local news
paper and get the editor to give the
enterprise a good boost. No. Of course
advertising don't pay, but it will make
the work a little more easy, and then i
won't cost anything because it is for
public undertaking. Then they mus
see all the business men in town fol
contributions. Do the business mer
refuse? This one puts his name dowr
for $50, the next for $50, some for SIS
t some for $40, S5-all according to tlleil
means. Montgomery Ward & Co. goe,
: down for-well. say, did anyone ever
! see their name on a subscription list
Why haven't you. Your cash has helped
make them rich, and they surely woulo
be willing to help you out on a public
4 enterprise.
a Would they? I know one Of thei
customers who once applied to Mont
+, gomery Ward & Co. for help in a pub
lie enterprise oft hat kind. In du'
course, he received a very polite repl,
in which it was stated that they re
. = ceived SO many requests OF that kim
they made it an absolute rule to re
5 fuse all similar requests" Your HON
: merchant doesn't make any such rule
if anything his rule is always to con
tribute. And did you ever stop to thinl