The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-02-26
HOME TRADE PAYS.
Some of the Disadvantages OF
suying Goods by Mail.
BY Proper Newspaper Advertising
the Local Merchant May Compare
S,ccneSfuJIy With Big Outsider.


successfully With Big Outsider.
In a recent talk Elmer S. Patterson
Of Chicago. a noted town boomer. made
the following pertinent remarks con-
,,erning the mail order trade and kin
lred topics:
The mail order house has no adTan-
tace over the local stores. The cata-
logue house sends out catalogue to
the farmers once or twice year. The
local merchant may reach him daily IN
the local press. 1t costs at least 81
apiece to get out the catalogue. The
local merchants send out little for ad-
vertising. Every new customer costs a
catalogue house at least 81. The loca!
,, merchant secures his patronage at a
less figure. \ mail order house has
large force of clerks with large e1-
pense in large city, and its goods are
shown by pictures and printed pages
in catalogues. local merchant can
show his goods In his window daily. a
! local merchant has the advantage. He
can give you goods on approval and
exchange them easy. 1t takes time to
make an exchange with mail order
house.
Catalogue houses do not undersel'
the local merchant. This is true. One
item is but fair test. Take ten arti,
cles or compare business OF TWO
mouths with a local merchant and
mail order house and see. Catalogue
houses do not run an illegal business
They run a legal one. II they did not
they would have been excluded from
the mails long ago, as every CONNER
cial club is on the lookout
The mail order house receives an
order for a parasol for baby cab
from a woman on a rural route. This
is enough. The mail order house at
once surmises there is baby in the
family. 1t must have clothes. 1t will
grow. In another year more clothes
are needed and still more the following
year. This child must have father
and a mother and probably other chill
dren are in the family. They neec
| household articles and, being on ru
raj route. live in the country and neec
farm implements Holding the letter
up to the light. it is noticed that the
paper Is branded and is Of good quail
ity. so the people must be we'll to do.
Merchants may 60 into the cata-
logue business. Get out a circular
every so often. Have the type stereo.
. typed. Save the plates, and when you
have a dozen or so you NAV get oct a
catalogue at a nominal price.
You must take care of your custom
ers even If you lose money. No mer-
chant should turn down a customer.
Ee should see him provided with the
article desired. a quick sale is better
than having an article on hand for a
long time.
| IF farmers do not come to town.
something is wrong. Investigate 1t DT
asking them. If it is because lumber
has advanced and can be bought cheap p
er in a netghboring city because there
is but one lumber dealer In your town,
organize new lumber company COM
prising the merchants.
"All selfish motives should be cut
cut. Do as much business as possible,
but don't get jealous If your neighbor
does more. AN unfair merchant ts a
traitor to his town.
"a large store In a small town does
not hurt the small stores. 1t takes IN
:. large trade radius. II your town is
four miles IN radius and you draw
trade from five miles surrounding 1t,
the ratio is 96 to 4 If you increase the
radius one mile, you increase the trade
radius almost 46 per cent A new de-
partment store with improved methods
will increase the trading radius. Il
merchants in neighboring cities get
the advertising space in local papers,
it is because the local merchants don't
want it and the outsiders DO.
The town does not stop at the city
limits. It takes in the farmers in the
surrounding country. A market day Is
a good thing for small town, bar
gain day also, when farmers may sell
their goods at auction. The refund!ng
Of railroad fares also draws. Get up q
banquet for the farmers. Have re-
yiral in a country church. Get people
to come to town by giving them prize
contest.
LET the parcels post come. Let 1t
i've It Will prove good thing. The
local merchant may get better advan-
tases out Of 1t than the mail order
house if he takes advantage Of it.
Merchants should spend per cent
Of their earnings in newspaper adver-
tising. The majority spend less than
2 per cent in small towns"