The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-08-02
Retail MERCHANT
NECESSARY TO
PROSPERITY
BY INCREASING The DEMAND
Retailer and Sales Force the
Strongest Agency In Mar
keting New Goods.
BY o. A. CHARLES.

ICopyright by y. A. Charles, l9lO.l
1t has been said that the retail
merchant, or as he is more frequently
called, the middleman, is not neces-
sary. That from factory to consumer
is the economical method of distribut-
ing merchandise.
If considered from the standpoint of
pure economy of distribution, why
not say from producer to consumer?
Why the manufacturer? The manu-
facturer is middleman in the act Of
production and consumption just as
the retailer is middleman In the act
of distribution.
The raw product will find it's
way to a market If there is a
demand, but IL there was no demand
the raw product would become drug
on the market and the producer of
raw product would have no reason for
producing consequently the producer
OF raw product would be without an
occupation. Hence, whoever or what.
ever creates demand is of more i'm
portance to prosperity than that
which simply produces.
1t is in creating demand that the re-
taller and his sales force are justified.
1t is in making the man of today a
terday that the retailer justifies his
position in the world of commerce as
an economic factor.
Eliminate all the retailers or all the
personal selling factors for twelve
months and the whole business world
would be actually paraIyzed.
Consumption would be restricted 10
necessities land by that we do not
mean what are considered the neces
stiles of today, but rather what were
the necessities of hundred years
ago), and to cover the cost of dis
tributing those necessities it woult
require a complete readjustment o.
present methods of distribution.
All the cost of such distribution
would have to be borne by these
necessities, where now they bear {
| very small part of such expense. Thi'
would cause such an advance in price
| that would again curtail consumption
and the volume of business woIl(
dwindle to the point where all produc
tion would be curtailed. So curtai
consumption, make production un
necessary and where would be you
prosperity?
It is the retailer and his work o
creating new desires, or desires 70
new products, that stimulates an,
sustains a maximum production, an,
it is only by and through his contin
ued effort that consumption is mair
tanned equal to production.
The farmer produces, to the limit G
his ability, the products of the farm
the manufacturers keeps his factorie
running at full capacity, giving wGr
etc, who consume the farmers prS
ducts.
The increase of manufacturing d.
pends upon the selling of new pre-
ducts, new inventions, or the prt
duct of new inventions. The increas
of consumption of farmers product
depends on the increase of manufa
turing, which increases the emplo.
ment of labor. Now eliminate the II
stitut.on or factor which makes a d
mand for these new products, an
don't you see that you would destro
one of the most important cogs in I'll
machine Of progress.
Supply and demand govern pric
yet demand is actually controlled /
the distributing agents, the retailer
in their work of creating desire. Tt
retailers are the greatest factors 4
creating new desires, because 1t
they who meet the consumer face
face, show him the new production
hold these productions subject to Il
consumers order and finally supp
: the consumer.
Z The retailer and his sales force n
only awaken the interest Of the co
sumer, but by their peculiar know
z edge of this consumer maintain b
Z interest until he feels that the ne
3 article is necessary to his comfo
n convenience or progress, consequent
, he buys.
/. BY continuing the sale of the ne
product to this consumer until its u
becomes a habit with the consume
. the retailer firmly establishes the nt
ID article as a staple article of CO
1t merce.
v II the retailer confined his work
. .ix,,nI,y handing mt stanlo9 that ha