St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-02-01
TOO MANY STORES
CONDITIONS SOMETIMES FOUND
IN NEWER SECTIONS.
IS A POOR BUSINESS POLICY
Good Judgment in Amount of Trade
storekeeper Can Control is
Great Essential to
Success.

There ls such thing as OVERRIDING
business. There are numerous Illus
trations of this condition in the newer
sections of the west Towns are built
up before the country is fairly settled
and there is little besides the town
trade to support the business concerns.
There will be several general stores to
supply what one good store should
look after
This is poor policy. There are GER
tain conditions that indicate whether
there is room in town or a commu-
nifty for a business concern. 1t is a
well-known fact that the people re-
quire just SO much food, so much
clothing, SO much this and that essen
tial to living, and while one family or
person may consume more than an
other certain person, when the average
is made it will be found that each
spends SO much during the year. This
being the case, it is an easy matter
for the man contemplating establish
ing a store to estimate about the
hope to control. If he oversteps the
limit, he is sure to meet with disaster.
Where there are more stores than is
justified some dealer must conduct an
improbable business. It is generally
the one who has poor business ability.
The experienced and the capable al
ways win, but it is seldom that the
astute and careful merchant seeks a
location in an overworked field.
Where there are too many business
men in town, there is always heard
complaints of dull business. The field
is generally made an overdone one by
the classes which may be rightly
called "pikers' or small-caliber mer-
chants, who see one storekeeper in a
place doing fairly well, and conclude
that there is a chance for themselves
to make little easy money. The re-
suit is poor business for all, and
eventually failure. It is poor judg-
ment in matters of this kind that runs
up the list of general store failures
above the average in other lines.
1t is important that the one looking
for a good location for store of any
kind, pick out a field where there Is
need of the class of business estab.
lishment that he contemplates start
ing, and where there shall be patron
eye enough to make the undertaking
a success. Unless this matter be care.
fully investigated, one runs a risk.
In new country the towns are gen
eQally built up first, and the agricultur-
al section settled up in a gradual way
class, and are not the most liberal
buyers. Still they must have neees.
stiles supplied, and here is where the
new town storekeeper gets his princt.
pal business. A store is always sue
cessful in a thickly populated com.
munity, If the management is such as
to draw trade. In the large city all
that is essential for success is capital
and brains to rightly conduct the bust
ness undertaken, for there is always a
large mass of people to do the buying
and they will turn their trade to the
merchant that throws out the proper
inducements to them, and satisfies
| them the best. In the country, OF
small town, things are different and
business must be conducted on diff
ferent basis. Where there is not popu
lation enough to consume any great
amount Of goods, 1t would be fool
hardy to try to build up a great bust
ness, for trade is regulated entirely
by the wants of the people, and Their
wants are according. to their customs
their success and tastes.