Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-16
WILL WAKE UP LONDON
Proposed to Start a Modern
Department Store.
COPY OF MARSHALL FIELDS
Up-to-Date Mercantile Methods viii
Be introduced.
CITY OF sHePKEEPERs
Numerous Cases Of Merchants Who
Do Not Advertise Because They Do
Not Want More Business.
By WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

Harry Gordon Selfridge Of Chicago has
come to London to- found the biggest de-
partment store In Europe, and has enter
| ed into { a combination with one of the
! strongest houses here. The firm will be
called Selfridge & Warning, Limited, and
will consist Of himself and several broth
| ers belonging to old Liverpool family
| who are the largest dealers in furniture
| upholstery materials and housefurnishing
goods in the world They have furnished
and equipped half the palaces in Europe
| Asia and Africa and half the big hotels.
| They enter into contracts to erect, furnish
and equip complete. with everything neces-
sary or desired, a palace or hotel an
| apartment house, q railway station, q
restaurant or a private house of any d.
mansions, according to the taste and means
of their clients and the purpose for which
| the building Is to be used. They will pro-
vide complete staff Of servants, they
will fill the stables with horses and car
| rtages and automobiles and supply every
| thing, even to the soap on the washstands,
| and fill the bookcases In the library with
| appropriate volumes.
Oldest In the World.
| Warnings is the oldest furniture house
in the world. 1t was originally estab-
lished at Liverpool centuries ago and has
| made many generations rich. The pres
ent family consists of six brothers and
| three sisters. and they are all in the firm.
The original Liverpool house Is kept up
and there are branches in Manchester
and Paris, as well as London. They manu-
facture large part Of the goods they
sell, for which they have great factories
| in Lancaster. A few years ago they bought
out their keenest rival. which had been
| running for several hundred years. Thack-
cray and other old English writer's fire.
quently refer to "Gillows." The business
was consolidated under the firm name of
Waring q Giilows." and has since taken
over the building concerns of ]. G. White
d Co. Of New York and London. So that
their facilities are now complete. They
nave their own staff Of architects manu-
facturies for supplying building materials
as well as furniture and finishings and
practically have everything In their own
hands. They are now building a magnifi-
cent palace for one Of the native princes
china, silver crystal. linen. cutlery, kit
chen utensils and everything required to
the very door mats.
Modern Department Store Wanted.
Some time ago 1t occurred to these pro-
gressive gentlemen that London needed
modern department store, and for the pur-
pose of educating themselves they visited
the United States, and became acquainted
with Mr.. Selfridge, who was then in charge
of the retail department of Marshall Field
& Co., Chicago AT that time Mr.. Selfrfdge
never dreamed of removing 70 London. al
though at Mr.. Fields request he had drawn
up a plan for a large department store, and
had submitted it to Mr.. Field. The latter
was 81 eat1y interested, but finally decided
that ~ his time of life it was not Judicious
to be taking on new responsibilities
Inducements have been offered to several
prominent Americans to establish a. modern
/ store in London on the American plan. Mr.
Wanamaker has been on the point OF do
ing so several times About year ago Mr..
Selfridge was again approached by the
Warnings, who offered him their backing
and all the capital he might need. 8. J.
Waring went to the United States ON an
inspection trip and made thorough study
of the largest retail establishments. while
Mr. Selfridge came to London and made
similar investigation here. He looked into
the situation very carefully, inspected all
Of the large establishments, interviewed
many people, not only active merchants,
but those who have retired and bankers
newspaper men manufacturers and others
who are familiar with the retail trade. He
found only one opinion, which was that
London offered an Incompatible oppor-
tunity for a modern department store on
American lines modified to meet local re-
Quirements Certain conditions prevailing
here are unaIterable, and any person en-
gaging in the retail trade must accept
them.
A City Of Shopkeepers.
London Is a city of shopkeepers. The d.
rectory shows hundreds Of pages Of lists
of small shops, and few moderately large
ones. None Of them. however, aoproaches
the great stores of Paris-not to enter into
a comparison with those of New York and
Chdcago-either in extent Or volume Of busi-
ness, or in the variety of goods offered.
The largest in London is a cooperative
establ shment known as the Army and
Navy Stores which was founded Tor the
benefit of the families of officers. soldiers
and sailors; so that they could get their
supplies at less than ordinary retail prices.
Theoretically no one else Is allowed to
trade there, although any stranger can go
in and buy as much as he pleases by sim
ply giving q number to the clerk who
serves him. That number Is supposed to
belong to some army or navy officer, who
belongs to the cooperative organization,
but the clerk never stops to look. it up In
the books. and the public have taken adj
vantage of that delinquency so long that 1t
Is Just as easy to buy there as at any OF
the public establishments. Including it's
branches at Bombay and Calcutta. the
Army and Navy Stores show business Of
about SIS, 000, 600 a year. The largest pub
lie and the most progressive department
store sells about $40, 100000 of goods a year.
but, singularfy enough, never advertises in
the newspapers. The managers use post
ers, sign boards and advertisements in
the street cars and on the Buses out never
pay dollar to a newspaper for any kind
of advertising.
as high as S. 0OOO0O a dozen so will
average $25000O0 a year. while perhaps
twenty pay taxes on a business of 100000.
It is easy to ascertain the facts In this re-
spect for the reason that the incomes OF
firms and corporations are all returned to
the revenue department. and there does not
seem to be any desire for concealment.
The bulk Of the dry goods, clothing, fur
nishing goods, boots and shoes, groceries.
millinery and other merchandise Is
sold in small shops which do business
greater or less according to their location,
the size Of their stock and the amount OF
capital.
Satisfied With Their Business.
There are thousands Of dealers In the
shopping district .of London whose sales
average 100000 year. and do not care to
enlarge their trade because 1t would require
corresponding enlargement OF their cap
ital and capacity. There are hundreds of
thousands of smaller shops scattered all
over the city which supply their neighbor-
hoods The streets are lined with them on
both sides. If you will ride about London
on the top of bus you can see how the
retail trade is divided and scattered in that
way.
Nearly all the larger establishments have
passed into the hands of investors who may