West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-08-12
FIGHTING MAIL
ORDER CONCERNS.
Advantages of a System For
Solving the Problem.
BIG HELP TO SMALL STORES

Cooperative Organization Formed by
Country Merchants 20 Meet Mail
Order Business on It's own Grounds.
Sales Made Through Rural Merchants.
The old adage about lighting the
devil with fire has been adopted in the
battle OF the country stores against
the mail order houses. IL consists In
nothing less than n number OF mer-
chants and manufacturers forming a
house on the same lines as the mail
order concerns and making it's sales
through the country merchants and by
advertising In the country newspapers.
The new method Is called the Berkeley
system, and it's headquarters are I'm
Sioux City.
Tho general outline OF the plan OF
this Berkeley system Is thus described
Certain special articles that have been
handled by the mail order houses In enor-
nous quantities are selected. They gen
orally arc staple goods for which there "
steady demand. The small storokeep-
ers combine their orders. in this way
making them mount up 20 "A huge aggre-
gate The manufacturers belonging TO
the association are thus able to produce
tno Bopuh ana place NliHtn on the small
merchants Shelves at prices lower than
the mail order people can afford to sell
them. but at 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
single article viii illustrate how this
plan has been working out Tho mail
order concerns had been selling thou
auH H. gN...HH H. LII A.
Wood is expensive on the western plains
and oil II cheaper and handler for the
housewife The Berkeley stores and the
manufacturers associated with them took
up these stoves, with the result that the
business OF the mail order houses In this
article throughout the middle west has
fallen of Tremendously
Today this Berkeley system has CO0O
stores enrolled AZ members and is getting
new recruits at tho rate OF ten "A day-30O
month. The system gets out it's advcr-
Using in the cheapest form. II depends
on advertisements In local papers and
circulars The merchants are furnished
with plates for their newspaper notices
and circulars and are kept supplied with
something new every week or every fort
night. so there shall be no cessation OF
interest on the part OF the buyers and so
that the stock shall be kept moving even
~ and rapidly. Generally speaking IL h
like a huge department store. not under
one roof. but with it's various branches
scattered throughout the United States.
In this way the business OF these country
stores has revived Incredibly. The vol
| ume OF their advertising has Increased
300 per cent In the last two years and
their business has grown decidedly. The
country newspapers are glad TO take the
local stores advertisements at the lowest
| possible rates and TO help them fight the
mail order houses. because tho latter do
| little, II any. newspaper advertising
Thus far tho TfqrktgN ttsu D.
managed most judiciously. While the
| manufacturers belonging 10 the aasocin-
| ton have Kept the cost OF production
| down to the lowest possible notch they
| nave received such tremendous orders
| from the system that they have been able
| TO I'll them at rock bottom prices yet at
| living profit to themselves Tho coun-
| try merchants. who are in a renae their
| copartners. are thus able TO compete sue
ccssfully with even the biggest OF the
mail order houses The arrangements
| with the manufactures 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. I'm fact. an effort Is
| being made TO handle the vast business
with the Etrictest economy. not with a
| view OF centralizlng the bulk Of the prof.
It's In one place. but Of distributing them
| impartially and equally among an who
There are certain features ~ this
! Berkeley system that make II seem
feasible and practical. one Is that II
| recognizes the principle Of conccntra-
| ton and cooperation that seems so
much n part Of this ngc II meets the
| mall order house on It's own grounds u
cheapness Of manufacture aud ellmlnn-
/ ton Of waste. 10 was organized by
| country merchants themselves Ia meet
/ the very question OF the mail order
\ business. men who knew the actual
| conditions and figured out q plan that
would most effectively solve the prob.
/ lem. II takes advantage Of the news
! papers and thus has superior Kind ~
| publicity over the mail order houses.
! IL allows the local merchants their
margins Of profits and yet gets rid of
| the cost Of middlcman and wholesaler.
| IL confines itself 10 some OF the lending
| articles I'm which the mail order houses
| have made their greatest inroads And
\ by gaining the support Of local mcr
/ chants and newspaper men 20 builds
] up vast organization and one that is
I powerful IN every community More
/ over. the system has proved Itself by
| It's results Already SC has had % vast
/ success. and MS It's plan becomes
/ known this success cannot but be- in.
| creased am not speaking for the
| particular house started iu Sioux City
/ alone. That IS probably only "a fore
runner Of other houses that viii 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 NJ the principle on some
such basis and along some such lines
on effective fight against the mail
/ order houses could bc organized
/ The country merchants and the
/ country prsss should realize that they
/ have IN their own hands % powerful
/ weapon and one that should be do
I cisive. Then Jet the newspapers
and the commercial clubs join hands
\ with them. and we have lighting
force TINT would be invinciblc. A
I large number Of manufacturers would
also lend their support Here. It seems
20 me, IS n feasible plan for solving the
problem ]. A. EDGERTON.