The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-06-01
ATTRACTING TRADE TO A CITY.

CUES work, is the cooperative get
together spirit which 1t has engen-
dered among the bushes men of Biz
mington, and which it's good work
has fostered and which still prevails.
AS the secretary of the organization
stated to me in one of his reports:
with this spirit, the Birmingham
spirit, continued as it must, nothing
is impossible in our future trade
development"
A Rebate Bureau.
During the fall of 1909 the rebate
bureau of the Bushes Mems league
was formed, its membership consist
ing of such of the leading merchants
of Birmingham as desired to partici-
pate in it's benefits. The object of
this bureau was to help attract new
out-of-town trade, and to do this
the railroad fares of out of town
shoppers was refunded under certain
conditions, which may be briefly
summarized by saying that the shop
pers must come twenty-five miles and
purchase at least $25 worth to cur
any refund, the refund being on a
basis of a mile both ways for every
dollar of purchase.
This also proved a trade puller and
helped to extend the city's trade terri
tory into a section which, while it
legitimately belonged to Birmingham,
had been trading in Atlanta, Nash
Vile, Chattanooga and Memphis.
The entire work of the Business
Mems League and it's rebate bureau
is so we'll systematized and so well
managed that it has been felt in adj
joining trade territory and the
larger cities which heretofore have
been drawing trade from this terri
tory have found it necessary to offer
similar inducements to those offered
by Birmingham.
A Slogan.
In the beginning of the work of the
league it adopted a PASTORAL emblem
of three spirited horses bearing across
their breasts Publicity, Progress,
Prosperity" drawing a chariot let
tered 1.-THE Business Mems Lea
gue," with a beautiful woman stand
ing in the CHARIOT and bearing in her
hand a banner with the words, ITO
Bring More Trade to Birmingham"
The advertising campaign of the
league attracted attention from a
number of the trade journals of the
country, and a large number of cities
with similar organizations very soon
began to pattern their publicity work
along similar lines.
What Fairs Have Done.
The last two fairs held here have
been under the auspices and practi-
cally the management of the Business
Mems league, state fairs have been
mostly losing ventures, but the last
two have been a thorough success,
not only in attracting trade, but fl
| nacially. The fair held last year
was pulled off with out any contri-
buttons. There were over zoo, 600
paid admissions, $4,000 of which We're
on one day, and the receipts were far
in KEGS of the expenditures. 1t is
estimated that this fair brought from
$5O0,000 to $4,000 worth of trade
to the city.
1t has been conservatively estimated
that during the year 1910 alone the
work of the league. brought from
81, 000, 900 to 1900, 900 worth Of trade
to Birmingham that was formerly
going to other centers that encrosch-
ed on the Magic Citys trade territory.
One of the most attractive features
of the league is the fact that it makes
its members immune from solicita-
ton for donations and contributions
to conventions and other such move
ments, as the membership dues to
the organization takes care of such
matters. The work of the league is
conducted along such snappy up
to date lines that it receives the en-
couragement of every progressive mer
chant and every other business man
interesting in building up Birming-
hams trade territory.-The Merchants
Journal and Commerce