The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-11-15
MERCHANTS PERFORM SERVICE.


There are constantly alluring offers
made to the masses of people in any
community from the outside, to get
their trade. All of the magazines
contain fascinating advertisements
to induce the consumer to buy direct
from factory and cut out the middle
man." There Is hardly an article or
a commodity Of any sort which is not
offered to the people Of a community
from outside sources many times a
year, in one way and another. 1t is
advertising from the outside that in
duces local dollars to flow outward
instead Of remaining in circulation at
home where they would eventually
benefit the whole community, directly
or indirectly.
And just as 1t is advertising that
causes a certain portion of trade to
go away from home, so it must be
advertising that will overcome this
currency export and retain the money
in local circulation.
Local merchants in a community
have an immense advantage over for
eign competition if they but take adj
vantage of the opportunity. Their
wares are on the ground and open to
inspection. Their wares are generally
lower in price than those to be had
from away. All that needs to be done
to retain much of this trade that goes
away, therefore, is to tell the con-
sumner that the article may be had at
home, its price and its various quail
fications. This is what interests the
people who do send away and 1t Is,
natural that the same sort of argu-
ment will get results even more quick
ly in local way, where the commodi-
ties in question may be inspected be-
fore bought
1t has been proved in Norfolk that
advertising of the right kind on the
part of the merchants will retain
much of the trade at home which, with
out this effort on the part of the local
merchants, would go away. A couple
of years ago $1,000 a month was roll
ing out of Norfolk into foreign re-
tail markets. During the past two
years Norfolk merchants have done
more advertising and better advertis-
ing-more scientific and effective ad-
ever before. The
News has kept pace with them In con-
stantly increasing its circulation both
in the city and on the rural routes
around Norfolk, so that their messages
might be carried inexpensively into
every home in the immediate vicinity
of their stores.
And today there Is nowhere near the
money being sent away that there was
two years ago. That incessant flow
has been partially checked by the
local merchants who have gone after
more trade by giving publicity to the
bargains that they offer and thus in
teresting local people more and more
in the dependable commodities which
are to be had here, as against the less
dependable articles to be bought
through the mails, "unsight, unseen"
Most people, seeing an article which
they want, advertised completely in
local paper of standing, will follow
out the suggestion and visit the store
making the offer even more quickly
than they would write a letter, en-
close the cash and send the order
away. But that is the mental process
that is undergone and through this
form of campaign have the outside
sales been effected.
Thus it is easily seen how import
ant a part the merchants, by their
advertising, play in retaining to any
community the maximum amount of
its life-energy-currency.
And in return, 1t becomes at once
the self-interest Of all persons to pat
rOnize those merchants who do ad-
vertise, for several reasons. First be-
cause of this public work that the
advertising merchant performs for his
And second, because the
advertising merchant takes the public |
into his confidence, tells them what
he has to offer and just how much 1t
will cost; tells them all of the things
they want to know about it, aud tells
It to them, through the newspaper, in
their own homes.
But there's another reason. You
can buy at less cost from the mer.
chant who advertisos than from the
who does net. This is easily |
seen. The merchant who alyertlses
does mere business than the enc who
does not. lie makes more sales and