Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-09-02
FIGHTING MAIL
ORDER CONCERNS,
Advantages Of a System For
Solving the Problem.
BIG HELP TO SHALL STORES


Country Merchants to Meet Mail
Orc. r Business on It's Own Grounds.
Sales Nj ade Through Rural Merchants.
The OLD adaer about fighting the
devil Wit. fire has been adopted in the
battle of the country stores against
the rail order houses. 1t consists III
nothing loss iian II number OF nirr-
chants and manufacturers forming
house ON the same lines rs the mail
order con, cr!s and making its sales
throu h the country merchants and by
advertising" in the country newspapers.
The new mrIhod is called the Herklry
system. and its headquarters are in
Sioux City.
The general outline of the plan or
this lerklry system is thus described:
Certain special articles that have been
handlta.h v the mail order houses in cnor-
nous quantities are selected. They gen
orally are staple goods for which there -
steady demand. The small storeKeep-
ers combine their orders, IN TINS way
making them mount VI TO huge aHSie-
gate. The manufacturers belonging to
the goods and place them on the small
merchants shelves at prices lower than
the m Ill order people can afford to SCH
them but at IA living profit to themselves.
Many lines are placed with the dealers
ION consignment"-to be paid for when
sold The goods sell better and faster
when displayed in the stores than they DO
from the catalogue.
A single article will illustrate how this
plan has been working out. The mail
order concerns had leen selling thou
sands on thousands of kitchen oil stoves.
Wood Is expensive on the western plains
and oil is cheaper and handler foi the
housewife. The Berl,ey stores and the
manufacturers associated with them took
up these stoves. with the result tlat the
business of tAe mail order houses in this
article throughout tine middle west has
fallen or tremendously.
To-day this Berkeley system has 5000
stores enrolled as members and Is getting
new recruits at the rate or ten daY-SU
n month. The system gets out Its adVer-
Using In the cheapest form. 1t depends
on advertisements in local papers ana
circulars The merchants are furnished
with plates for their newspaper notices
and circulars and are kept supplied with
something new every week or every lori
night SO there shall be no cessation or
interest on the part of the buyers ana so
that the stock shall be kept moving even
" and rapidly Generally speaking. 1t Is
like a huge department store. not under
one roof. but with its various branches
scattered throughout the United States.
In this way the business of these country
stores has revived incredibly. Inc VOL
ume Of their advertising has increased
800 per cent in the last two years, ana
their business has grown decidedly. The
country newspapers are glad to take the
Il, ti,..., to nj hA
possible rates and to help them fight the
mail order houses. because the latter do
little II any, newspaper advertising.
Thus far the Berkeley system has been
managed most judiciously. While the
manufacturers belonging to the associa-
ton have kept the cost OF production
down to the lowest possible notch, they
have received such tremendous orders
from the system that they have been able
to MI them at rock bottom prices, yet at
a living profit to themselves. The coun-
try merchants. who are in sense their
copartners, are thus able to compete sue
cessfulv with even the biggest of the
mail order houses. The arrangements
with the manufacturers permit the goods
being shipped direct from the factories to
the customers as fast as the orders come
in, SO there is no expensive handling or
storing of the goods before they are need
ed In every way, in fact, an effort Is
being made to handle the vast business
with the strctest economy, not with
view OF centralzinE the bulk of the prof
its in one place, but of distributing them
impartially and equally among all who
are concerned In their making.
There arc certain features of this
Berkeley system that make it seem
feasible and practical One is that it
recognizes the principle of concentra-
ton and cooperation that seems so
much IA part Of this age. 1t meets the
mail order house on its own grounds of
cheapness Of manufacture and eimina-
ton of waste. 1t was organized by
country merchants themselves to meet
the very question of the mail order
business. men who knew the actual
conditions aud figured out plan that
would most effectively solve the prob
lem. 1t takes advantage of the news.
papers and thus has Il superior kind or
publicity over the mail order houses.
1t allows the local merchants their
margins of profits and yet gets rid OF
the cost of middleman and wholesaler.
1t confines itself to some of the leading
articles in which the mail order houses
have made their greatest inroads. And
by gaining the support of local mer-
chants and newspaper men 1t builds
up a vast organization and one that Is
powerful in every community. More
over. the system has proved itself by
its results. Already it has had vast
success, and rs its plan becomes
known this success cannot but be i'll
creased. am not speaking for the
particular house started in Sioux City
alone. That is probably only fore
runner Of other houses that will be
started throughout the United States.
There is no reason why the merchants
and manufacturers Of any section
might not form similar cooperative
concern. am only recognizing the
correctness of the principle. On some
such basis and along some such lines
an effective fight against the mail
order houses could be organized.
The country merchants and the
country press should realize that they
have in their own hands Il powerful
weapon and one that should be de-
cisive. Then let the newspapers
and the commercial clubs join hands
with them. and we have fighting
force that would he invinciblp.
large rumhnr Of manufacturers would
also lend their support Here, 1t seems
to me. Is feasible plan for solving the
problem. j, A. EDGERTON,