The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1907-09-06
The Retailers Salvation


The editor of the Trade Journal has
long advocated scientific advertising
as means of eliminating the lost
motion from country merchandising
and now believes that the only saliva
ton of the retailer in his contest with
catalogue houses which threaten to
devour him is to adopt as far as prac-
teal the methods which haye enabled
the great mail order concerns to
build up their business in few years.
To 5egin with, the catalogue quote
prices, more prices and then more
prices. They also describe the arti-
cles and use cuts. Now quotation OF
price is an essential in creating de-
mand for without the price the con-
sumer can go only half way in formu-
lating the buying idea. Therefore
any advertising to be effective must
quote prices, as we'll as describing the
articles. That is the secret OF the
strength Of the department store and
catalogue house advertising.
It is matter Of common know
ledge that many things the country
merchant could sell at the same fig
ures quoted in the catalogues OF the
Chicago houses and at the aame time
make a reasonable profit. In some
cases the merchants price is even
lower, but still the business has gone
to Chicago. This was not due to any
prejudice against the merchant. but
because he did not take the pains to
inform the consumers of his territory
what he could do and they took it
for granted that the catalogue claims
as to undertaking him were true
The result has been that all but few
of the most progressive merchants
were losing trade anu only thru the
right kind of advertising can they
succeed in regaining their lost ground
and make home buyers of their lost
patrons. The difficulty is that the
average merchant is not a skilled
writer, and even if he is, he feels help
less impotence in a contest with the
giant organizations at Chicago. For
tunately, however, the Berkeley Sys-
tenn Company, which has its head
quarters in Sioux City, is doing for
the individual merchant the wor k
which he cannot do for himself, d.
recting the combat in the merchants
behalf. In the first place it enables
the dealer to put up q bold front to
the trade. He can talk the advan'
tages of cooperation and organiza'
ton, which have been strong cards
with the catalogue houses. Then
thru it's common direction and the
cooperation of many jobbing houses
of western jobbing centers the sys'
tenn is able far more effectively than
an individual to designate the articles
which can be pushed most success
fully. The systems experts are past
masters in study Of the Chicago cata.
logues and know just how to proceed
effectively. Then othere are skillfu]
ad writer's who know how to make
their appeal effective. Thus the mer'
chant can quote price and 20 to the
consumer on the same plan as the
catalogue house. The merchant alone
can accomplish comparatively little
The cost to him alone wonld be hea.
w. The Berkley system prorates the
expense over-a large mum bers of deal:
ers, and the individual expense is
email, while the moral and strategic
effect of large body Of merchants
working in harmony is great, both in
securing the cooperation of jobbers
and in properly impressing consum-
ers with the weight of the advertising
used.-Sioux City Trade Journal.
The September Housekeeper
The Housekeeper for September
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