Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1909-12-11
HELPS TO HOME TRADE
Methods Of Competing Success
fully With Mail Order Houses.
GAIN OF LOCAL MERCHANT.
Can Show His Goods Before Selling,
While Foreign House Can Show
Only Catalogue Descriptions-How
to Sell For Same Price or Less.

There are two ways for the country
merchant successfully to compete with
the mail order houses One is by com
bination with a large number of other
country merchants and manufacturers
i'll establishing a plant similar to the
mail order concern, tx, cpt that all sales
are made through the local tradcSmcn.
This has been tried successfully by Il
number OF western business men.
III a local merchant is not disposed
to 20 into such Il combination, how
ever. he will find it possible to com
pete with the mail order house indi-
vidually One plan is to order several
of the leading articles on which the
mail concern CompcteS with him and
by showing these to customers that he
thinks are buying of the foreign house
demonstrate to them that he can sell
goods equally as good for the same OF
even Il less price. AS matter of
fact, he has most OF the advantages
on his side-the columns of the local
papers for advertising, personal ac-
quantance in most cases with his GUS
toners, local pride and the fact that
Il dollar spent with him stays at home
and thus helps the community. All
these are powerful helps, but more
powerful still is the fact that he can
show his goods before selling. while
the mail order house can only show
its catalogue descriptions.
The truth is that the method of ad-
vcrtising employed by the mail order
house is a most expensive one. The
catalogues are proiuSely illustrated,
and these cuts cost money. The mere
preparation of the matter and printing
are no small items. When to these
is added binding. procuring of lists of
names, which must be constantly cor
rcctcd to cover deaths and removals.
mailing and other necessary work, the
cost is seen to be something enormous.
The postage bill alone On Il single ship
mcnt of these catalogues mounts into
the thousands. All this great expense
of advertising must, of course, be paid
by the customer In comparison the
country merchants ads. in his local
paper are inexpensive.
The mail order house makes its ap-
peal on price. Yet it has been proved
over and over again that article for
article the home tradeSman can match
these prices if he desires to sell goods
OF as inferior Il quality or can actual
ly underScll the foreign concern. |
have before me reports of two specific
cases. one is that of Mr.. \. $. Atkin-
son, Il merchant Of Cherryvale, Kan,
who is interviewed in the Agricultural
Southwest, Mr. Atkinson says:
The catalogue houses are Il great
competitor today i'll the mercantile life
of the country, but | do not worry so
much about them as do some mcr-
chants, knowing that | can sell as
chcaply as the mail order house. For
example, one mail order house uses
the same goods as do in a suit. They
sell their garment for $3.50 as against
$1.4S for ours. | feel no hesitation III
saying that 1 can compete successfully
with retail catalogue firms.
The other case is reported by the
Cleveland Trade Bulletin and concerns
shoes. The name and location of the
individual merchant are not given, but
these do not matter, as the facts can
be verified by any one who desires to
do 50. The instance cited is as fol
lows:
a shoe retailer was recently shown
an illustration of shoe sold by
mail order house for $l.G9. This shoe
had Il rubber goring over the instep;
was Il heavy Soled kid with patent
lnhnr hn
illustration was 50 constructed that 1t
would lead the reader TO believe that
the shoe was the exact counterpart OF
those selling in retail stores at So.
This retailer became interested and
ordered pair to satisfy his curiosity.
When the shoe arrived at his store 1t
was found to be about the average
S1lO stock in the uppers, while the
soles, counters and insOle were the
very cheapest materials; in fact, this
same retailer was showing plain
shoe without a gingerbread, which
would have given the wearer great
deal more satisfaction than the one
sold by the mail order house, for $1.oO.
I'm the retail shoe business, at least
there is little fear OF any great com
petition from mail order houses. A
mail order house carries shoes in few
widths only. and there is a great dis
advantage in fitting shoes hundreds
Of miles away"
The same is true of other lines of
goods. A long distance fit on suit Of
clothes is as unsatisfactory as on a
pair of shoes. The local merchant has
practically all of the argument on his
side except the mere question OF price.
Let him convince his customers that
he can sell as cheaply as the catalogue
house, quality for quality, and his bat
tie is won. The two instances cited
show how this may be done.
The day is past when any sort Of
merchandising will win. The slipshod,
half asleep ways Of generation ago
are out OF date. 1t is just as with
farming The only farmer who stands
a chance today is the chap who studies
ana hustlcs. The only merchant who
Is now in the game is the one who ad-
vertises. exercises care in buying, dis
plays his goods to the best advantage
and keeps eternally after trade. Such
one has little to fear from mail order
houses or any other source.
JAMES A. EDGERTOS,