The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-24
427 East Broad Street.

dry goods and notion jobbing centre.
Investigation shows that this Is not the
case. While 1t Is true that there are
fewer houses now engaged in wtolesnl.
ing dry goods and notions than were
thus engaged a few years ago the fact
remains that the volume of goods dis
trlbutcd from this point is vastly larger.
and yet becoming alrger than eyer known
before in tho history OF Rlchmond Eor
Instance / was permitted a few days ago
to look through the books of one of the
largest wholesale houses in town Com
pairing their sales Of last year with those
Of five years ago, / found they had more
than doubled their business in that time.
The same Is true OF each of the six big
houses now ti.-titing dry goods and
notions from Rlchm9nd. The whole ten-
dency of business In these latter days,
these days OF sharp competition and
short profits, these days of hustle and
hustle, is 10 Increase tho volume Of
trade. Every house seeks to make up in
volume what is lackinl, in long profits
as compared with the old-time way Of
doing business.
EVER UR-TO- DATE.
The wholesale dry goods houses Of
Richmond are strictly up-to-date. They
are up to all the modern methods, and
they lnow ali the short cuts. and their
constant aim Is TO increase volume OF
trade. To this end they have. introduced
In the transaction or their business all
the modern methods all the quick adj
vaniages, and are applying ali tho mod
ert up-to-datc energy There is no mar
ket In all this country that has liver or
more progressive and aggressive whole
sale dry goods dealers than RICHMOND
has There is no market catering to the
Southern trade that carries larger and
more varied stocks suitable for the trade
territory to which they cater. 1t Is not
meant by this that the wholesale dry
goods houses of Richmond carry larger,
or even as large stocks as some whole
sale dry goods houses in Baltimore or
New York for instance. 1t Is not neces-
sary that they should. and herelrr they
have an advantage over Baltimore and
New York; an advantage to the retailers
OF the South and Southeast, that perhaps
is not fully appreciated. That this may
he made plain, an explanation is probab-
~ necessary just here
STOCKS SUITED TO TERRITORY.
Take a New York wholesale dry goods
house. for instance. It's trade territory
IS from Canada to the Gulf. 1t must
carry stocks of dry goods OF immense
quantity and bulk suitable for all the
varied climates and conditions existing
from Canada TO the Gulf OF Mexico. That
Is to say, 1t must have goods of suif-
cient weight and bulk to keep the Cana
dian and the far North man warm and
of sufficient thinness and elasticity to
keep the Mexican and the Texan cool and
a retail merchant say from
some central point in North or South
Carolina, goes to this wholesale estab-
llshment in New Yory to select n stock
of goods suitable for his retail trade. He
finds there an immense quantity OF goods
for the wants of people from
Canada to Mexico. In this mighty sea of
supplies the CHANCES are that lie will
buy many goods Tor North or South
Carolina that were made and intended
only for the cold climate OF Canada and
perhaps rs many more that We're made
and intended for the hot climate Of Mex
leo. or course, he will set some goods
that are suitable for North or South Car
plina, for this big New York house car
,cs all sorts, but at the end Of the
season this retailer finds his shelves 4
loaded up with Canadian and Mexican
goods that he can't give away to a South
sarolinian or ~ North Carolinian.
AS FOUND HERE.
Now when he comes to Richmosd
Wholesale establishment what does he
ind? A stock of goods that has been
and carefully selected for his
particular territory with a view TO cli-
matte conditions, and he IS IN no dan
ger OF making any mistakes lie could
not buy anything IN the Richmond Whole-
sale house thar Is not climaticallyss suited
% his trade. Now this Is u fact, and
yet there are many retail merchants
who have an idea that the bigger the