The Virginia enterprise., 1908-06-12
BUILDING UP TRADE
METHODS PURSUED BY The Moot
SUCCESSFUL MERCHANTS.
WORK DURING DULL SEASONS
Necessity Of Advertising and E'eetlng
Competition Given by the large
City Department Stores and
MaiI.Order Houses,

The mid-winter period is generally
the dullest in the retail trade. Why
this is so is hard to explain. Farm
ers find time Of rest during Febru-
ary and March, and a portion of April,
and the weather is generally such
that they like to keep by their own
tresides. While the country retailers
may find lull in business, it is diff
ferent with the mail order houses. The
farmers leisure time affords him
chance carefully to go over the large
catalogues and other advertising mat
ter sent out to him, and quite often
he is attracted by the alluring de-
scription of goods and the supposed
low prices. Thus it is that the mail
order houses benefit, while the local
merchant loses.
One Of the faults of the average
merchant is that during dull times he
makes no effort to increase trade. He
puts into practice system of false
economy. He generally curtails his
advertising bills and let's goods re-
main upon his shelves, that slight
effort in the right direction would re-
move. The mid-winter and the
months of early spring are the best
months for the live merchant to ar
range his campaign for the year. It
is a time when the residents of the
rural communities have not much else
to do but to read. A little stroke of
enterprise on part of local merchants
at this period is more likely to accom-
plish good than at any other time.
Well prepared circulars quoting
prices so that comparisons can be
made with the mail order house cata-
lcgues will result in bringing consider
able trade, that otherwise would be d.
verted by the large catalogues.
1t will pay the merchant in the small
town carefully to study the methods Of
the large department stores and to
beenfit by the work Of the mail order
concerns. The large houses do not lie
down during the dull period. They
mako an extra effort to gather In
trade, and these efforts generally viii.
The present season is an exceptional
one. Universal talk of panicky times
has made great class Of people more
economical in their every day affairs
They are looking for opportunities to
save money. Low prices attract them
The merchant realizing this condition
can turn matters we'll to account by
making the right kind of effort. This
is the time when intelligent appeals
to common sense and the preaching of
evils of concentration of capital, and
the necessity of protecting home in
dustries, will have the most beneficial
effects. The home merchant has all
the advantage over the foreign insti-
tuition. He has the goods to show
the people before they pay their
money. He should be able to give
as good values as the largest con.
cern. His expenses are not one-half
according to the amount of business
large city department store or the mail
order houses
The trading away from home evil
is up to the local merchant. He
must realize that these days the back
! number, the lazy man and the incom-
petent ones cannot we'll succeed in
mercantile life. There is competition
that must be met, and it must be met
In business way. The only great
lever that the catalogue houses use
is that of publicity" 1t is the right
use of advertising space. and of ad-
vertising methods. The principles
that apply to the largest concern also
apply to the smallest one. 1t is pure
ly matter of degree. The merchant
who does not use printers ink these
days cannot expect to make a great
success in his chosen field.
! D. NJ. CARR.