St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-05-23
BUILDING UP TRADE
SOME THINGS THE MERCHANTS
SHOULD NOT OVERLOOK,
POPULARITY WINS SUCCESS
Methods Of Advertising to Bring De-
sifable and Lasting Results
Comparison of City and
Country Stores.

How can make my store popular
trading place." is the question asked
by hundreds of retailers. The answer
Is slmple-just make 1t popular. "But
now? asks the merchant There are
various ways, but like the eleven hun.
dred ,sects comprising Christianity
with the reaching of Heaven the aim
OF all, each way is to attain the same
end, and that is publicity In these
days OF live competition il is the live
up-to-date merchant that gets there
every time. This class of retailers
Will have his store a model one, the
arrangement of his well-selected as.
sortment of goods so as to give the
greatest display and attractive to the
eyes of his customers; will keep fully
informed as to latest trade methods,
nave clerks who are statesmen, and
must be a judicious and excellent ad-
vertiser.
There is little use in filing the col
umns CT the papers with attention-at-
tractors and not be able to make good
the store. In the small town the
merchant who tries to follow some of
the methods of the city stores will
fall. Above all other things he must
be honest in his advertising. He must
value the truth when telling in the
columns of the local paper what bar
gains ne has. His customers are gen
orally steady ones; week in and week
out they visit his place. Much trade
in the cities is of a migratory class.
The keepers of shops are out for the
money, and they little care how they
get it. If they can sell the visitor to
the store suit Of shoddy clothes for
what pure wool is worth, all right.
He may be from some country town,
and not know the difference Sell the
same class of clothes in your home
town to the same buyer, you might
lose not alone his trade but the trade
OF his neighbors. It pays to be hon
est in your advertising.
The merchant who has gained the
reputation for square dealing has a
capital that is sometimes better than
money. He is sure to gain and re-
tain customers, and his reputation
goes q big distance with the iobbing
houses. In fact, he will get the best
of the deal all around.
Unless advertising brings returns it
is money thrown away. But whether
advertising makes good or not de-
ponds upon how it is done. Ethics of
the medical profession prohibits doc
tors doing other advertising than the
simple publication of card giving the
title and address. The quack, who
realizes that there is virtue in prin-
ter's ink, publishes column after col
umn or full pages when he advertises.
He makes it win. He tells the people
in an interesting way that he has
the goods to deliver, whether he has or
not, and he makes them believe him.
Just the simple statement that" George
Brown & Co., Grocers," are located in
a certain town, hasn't much pulling
power. 1t Is money given to the prin-
ter 'just to help him." The printer
does not need such help. He wants
his paper to be trade puller, to bene-
fit its advertisers. The wise editor
will see that his merchant advertisers
use advertising space properly. It is
to his advantage as well as the mer-
chants advantage that this is done.
When you advertise, consider the
amount it costs the same as you do
the money that you pay for goods The
only difference is that you can pay
money for goods, keep them on your
shelves for years If the people don't
know that you have them; the money
you pay the printer is for letting the
people know that you keep goods for
sale and to make the selling part easy.
Judicious spending of money for the
right kind of advertising cannot fail
to win in the end and pay better per-
centage of profit than is afforded in
the same amount being spent in goods.
D. NJ. CARR.
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