The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-03-13
BUILDING UP TRADE
METHODS PURSUED BY TIE MOST
SUCCESSFUL MERCHANTS.
WORK DURING DULL SEASONS
Necessity Of Advertising and Meeting
Competition Given by the Large
CITY Department Stores ard
Mall-Crder Houses.

The mid.winter period is generally
the dullest in the retail trade why
this is so is hard TO explain. Farm
ers find a time of rest during Febla-
arr and March. and portion OF Aprll,
and the weather is generally su'h
that they like TO keep by their own
nresides. While the country retailers
may find a lull in business, II Is an
ferent with the mail order houses. Inc
farmers leisure time affords him
chance carefully TO 80 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 IL is that the mail
order houses benefit. while the local
merchant loses.
one OF the faults OF the average
merchant is that during duh times ne
makes no effort TO increase trade. lie
nuts into practice system or ta'se
economy. He generally curtails ms
advertising bills and let's goods re-
main upol his shelves that a slight
effort in the right direction would re
move. The md.winter and the
months Of early spring are the best
months for the live merchant to ar
range his campaign for the year. II
Is a time when the residents Of the
rural communities have not much else
70 do but to read. 4 little stroke Of
enterprise on part Of local merchants
/ at this period is more likely 10 accom-
pnsh good than at any other time.
/ Wen prepared circulars quoting
| prices SO that comparisons can be
made with the mail order house cata-
logues will result in bringing consider
able trade that otherwise would be d.
verted by the large catalogues
II will pay the merchant in the small
town carefully to study the methods OF
the large department stores and tc
beenft by the work OF the mail order
concerns. The large houses 60 not lie
down during the dull period They
make an extra effort TO gather II
trade. and these efforts generally win
The present season is an exceptions
one. Universal talk Of ranicky time:
has made great class az people more
economical IN their every day affairs
They are looking Tor opportunities u
save money Low prices attract them
The merchant realizing this condition
can turn matters we'll TO account b,
making the right kind OF effort. Thi
is the time when intelligent appeal
to common sense and the preaching o
evils Of concentration OF capital. an
the necessity Of protecting home IN
dustries, will have the nest beneficial
effects. The home merchant has a
the advantage over the foreign inst
tuition. He has the goods 10 sho'
the people before they pay the
money. lie should be able TO Civ
as good values as the largest COZ
! Germ. His expenses are not one-ha
according to the amount Of bushes
he transacts as are the expenses OF
large city department store or the ma
order houses
The trading away from home ev
is ND TO the local merchant. u
. must realize that these days the bac
, number the lazy man and the incor
pctent ones cannot well succeed
mercantile life There IS competitiC
that must be met. and It must be III
: in a business way. The only gre
: lever that the catalogue houses u
is that Of publicity" Il is the rig
use OF advertising space. and Of 2
: vertlslng methods. The principl
u that apply TO the largest concern all
apply to the smallest one. II is pun
ly q matter Of degree. The mercha
u who does not use printers ink the
"a DAYS cannot expect to make a gre
D. success in his chosen field
H. NJ CARR