Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-06-09
How Advertising Will
Kill the Mail Order Habit

Ne VI SNOA AaaA W bcuu luoll
IL money out Of town when they can
IS be Just as well or even better served
s at home.
e Local pride appeals to some peo-
E pie. but big bargain" offer has
$ such an attraction for some folks
that they forget their duty in their
desire to get something for moth
3 Ing or at least save a few pennies
on an important purchase.
If this unfair competition Is to be
met in a practical way, merchants
must render satisfactory service and
! advertise In such way that all the
] people will know that it is not nee
essary to go away from home to find
bargains.
i Do not blame people in the coun-
try who are every day receiving ap-
peals for patronage through the mail
II they read what they receive and
buy accordingly. II your advertis-
ing matter in the columns Of the
newspaper was going to their home
every day. it would have far more
effect that these occasional cata-
logue temptations. 4
A man who writes to Brains on this
subject says:
~ la . II
Some time ago I wished to buy q
kitchen table. Having a catalogue
Of a well-known maIl-order estab-
lishment at hand, | look It through
and succeeded in finding that I could
get such table as I wanted (. o. b.
Chicago for $4,25. With the use of
a little glue could set the table up
after 1t came. l filled out an order
and started for the post-office, but
on the way had to pass local fur
niture store. stepped in to ascer-
tain Just how much money / was
going to save by sending my money
to Chicago, and you can imagine my
when l discovered that | '
could buy exactly the same table .
and have It delivered to my home 9
for $685." a
One such story as this will go fur =
Their In meeting mail-order competit- y
on, provided it is published in good g
Size type in the local newspapers,
han all the fault-finding that can Il
70 done by all the merchants in any .
,ity. m
This is the practical solution of "
he matl-order problem SO far as v
ocal retailers are concerned. "a
Under ordinary circumstances 81
sraines does not believe In knocking 81
inybodFs business,r'but we believe
hat the questionable methods re- 70
orted to BY mail-order houses justi- III
les local merchants in explaining to VI
heir customers the exact situation. re
But merchants must not make the o.
listake Of advertising their compete
prs goods instead of their own in "a
he printed matter they use for this m
urpose. &C
Never mention mail-order COMPETE a.
on either publicly or privately un- !"
'ss 1t is for the purpose of showing
nat you can sell the same goods lei
'r practically the same price deliver IN
l to the customers home. We
If necessary to meet the almost to'
niversal-demand for "big bargains" on
might be well to buy some Sec Ka
ads similar to those that mail-order In
buses sell, and advertise them for 80
Iactly what they are, stating that SCI
lis grade Of goods is usually adver- es
sed by those who sell through the Ha
all as first-quality products, but ser
at you believe 1t is better to tell "a!
Q truth before the sale is made
Their than to have a customer dis
pointed after they had paid their chi
oney-as the majority of mail-or- cas-
r buyers are, even though most Of at
EN- are ashamed to say so after ORD
ey find out that they have been wo
tung." ing
The principal point to bear In mind fea
all times is this: People will not bur
ow what you have to sell or what !
ur best arguments are unless you ser
Ike the details known through the Rev
lumns Of the local newspaper that a 8
es into their homes daily, or week. J.
as the case may be. fort
Local newspapers are the best tim
ends local merchants can have. and HoC
der no circumstances should these ner
ends be neglected. The small Zoo
cunt Of money you pay for adrer- cha
Ing space will more than come this
* in Increased profits and the Ed
re you invest the more prosper. to l
J your business will become. mon
deet mail-order competition opeu- Abo