The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-07-28

One Of the problems that have vexed
the country merchant is how to keep
their customers from sending of TO
mail order houses for goods. This, said
keen observer of the drift OF things at
a recent meeting ofretailers in Chicago,
was in large measure solved by one
OF those hardheaded, practical retail
merchants of whom there are many in
the Sunhower State.
Il never did belieye it was good
policy or effective" he said, to abuse
the man who sent out of my town for
goods. This is a free country. And,
after all, is the fellow who sends away
for his goods not doing just what every
retail merchant in the country is doing,
trying to buy what he needs as cheap
as he can?
"A study OF this question has led me
to believe that the success of the mail
order houses is due wholly and solely
to advertising. The mail order house
advertises in the agricultural news
papers to reach the farmers, in the
magazines TO reach another class OF
buyers, and to clinch his newspaper
and magazine advertisements he sends
out under one cent stamp thousands
OF circulars. By constantly keeping
before the public the statement that
money can be saved by ordering goods
from Chicago, St. Louis or Kansas City
the mail order house has convinced a
large number of my customers that they
can save money. Saving money is the
most alluring bait that can be thrown
out to the buying public; whether it is
addressed to the farmer, country mer-
chant, day laborer, wholesaler, manu-
facturer or millionaire, is all one.
Then too the local merchant rarely
tries to convince his customers that
they can buy just as cheap, or cheap
er, from him. Occasionally he hears
some imprudent retailer cuss the mail
order houses. All this only tends to
confirm what he read in the newspaper
or magazine about saving money by
buying from Montgomery Ward &
Company, or Sears and Roebuck. AS
a matter OF fact very little, if anything,
can be saved by buying from mail
order house. not to speak OF the annoy
ance of delays and disappointments in
cident to ordering by mail, of which
every one knows who has tried it.
1T occurred to me that the business
OF mail order houses rested solely on ad-
yertising. 1t is their one and only
method OF getting in touch with the
purchasing public-in my own case
soliciting trade from my customers
through advertising of one kind or an
other. II also occurred to me that if
the mail order houses could build up
large and profitable business solely by
advertising there was good reason for
believing it would benefit my own, so
began fighting the devils Of the mail
order business with the FIRE OF their own
kindling.
THE local newspaper is the coun-
try merchants best and most effective
means through which to combat the
mail order houses money saving"
argument, as I have learned from ex-
perience, though l occasionally also
send out circulars. Just as the little
drop of water wears away the hardest
stone, just so does constant reiteration
produce effect. Keeping ones name
and business before the public is i'm
portant and effective in any business.
Even in small communities the popu-
lation is constantly shifting. Using the
space OF the local paper judiciously,
telling the buying public every week OF