The Washington herald., 1907-12-15
MERCHANTS PLAN SUCCEEDS
Shopping Weeks" Bring Much
Trade to Washington.
Advertising Brings Inquiry from
and Cities of the Country.

The advertising campaign inaugurated
by the retail trade committee Of the
Chamber Of Commerce is regarded as a
success. Il was stated last night at the
committees headquarters that inquiries
had come to the secretary Of the COM
mittee from fourteen States and IT
towns and cities. though the advertising
done by the committee began not more
than a month ago.
Washington's shopping facilities seem
to have attracted wide attention and in
terest. and this alone. the merchants
think, justihes the expense and effort Of
the campaign.
The people Of the three States nearest
TO Washington" said one Of the mer-
chants participating in the plan, have
been Informed that Washington is some
what more 20 them than the Capital OF
the country. They have been made to
know that this is shopping center. and
the best one available 10 them outside
OF New York They have also been i'm
pressed with the idea that Washington
merchants want their business, and are
willing to offer inducements 10 get them
as regular customers
ANY considerable increase in the trade
OF any city has not been built UP with
out continued effort. and the results so
far indicate TO me that 1t Is only neces-
sary to continue the present methods Of
advertising Washington 70 the country
round about. in order to gain for our
merchants many new permanent Gus
toners"
II was stated at the committees head
quarters last night that a satisfactory
volume Of business had been transacted.
and that many railroad fares had been
refunded. Most Of these refunds were
made 10 persons who had been inter
ested through the advertising and had
come TO Washington 10 do their Christ
mas shopping directly as a result Of the
committees efforts.
one customer from 4 Virginia town,
who had purchased several hundred dol
lars worth OF goods. was asked why he
had come 10 Washington to make his
purchases. He said he had been in the
habit Of going to Baltimore when he had
out-of-town shopping TO do, but that the
announcements OF the committee had in
terested him, and he decided to ascertain
what the stores We're like. He said he
was both surprised and pleased. and that
hereafter he would patronize Washington
rather than Baltimore.
Another resident of Virginia said that
this plan Of the Chamber Of Commerce e
/ refund fares had enabled her to buy her
/ goods in Washington, whereas she had
/ been sending to the mail-order houses OF
/ Chicago. She said also that many OF hel
/ neighbors would take advantage OF The
! plan.
| Several shoppers from Annapolis said
/ they. like most Annapolis people, haC
been in the habit Of going to Baltimore t
do their shopping. but that with the IN
/ ducement of the refunded railroad far,
! they would prefer TO buy here.
To Illustrate the conviction that III,
/ natural trade zone of Washington ex
| tended as far south as Norfolk anG
/ Lynchburg, as far west as Cumberland
as far north as Frederick and Carlisle
/ Pa. and as far east as Annapolis, the
| secretary of the committee stated that
although the bulk OF shoppers had com,
/ from the intermediate points. all of thes,
places were represented on the books o
the committee by the names Of purchaser.
/ Of considerable amounts OF goods.
/ Yesterday was the last day of the tive
weeks during which it was advertised
! the committee would refund fares. l
Will be impossible, however. 10 close TIT
rooms for few days. owing TO numerous
matters that have to be attended 70
/ 1t is expected shoppers will be looking
| for the committees headquarters, ever
/ though the time limit has expired. an,
( for these two reasons the Office of tn
committee will remain open for the mex
two or three days.