The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1911-03-23

/ In looking through the various
advertising sections, one can APP
proximately form an idea of the
amount Of money expended yearly
for this purpose, in the clothing
trade as well as by manufacturers OF
many other lines; but these expen-
ditures are not only beneficial to the
advertised article, but also assist the
retailer who handles such goods, by
drawing trade to his place Of bust
ness and thus enable him to dispose
of goods which have been left on the
shelves, as we'll as move every other
line he carries; besides they create
confidence so as to assure solid and
steady buyer. These points seem
| formerly to have been overlooked
by both parties; in this manner also,
the salesman is greatly aided, for his
goods are known and wanted before
his arrival and saves him in booking
his order. In the retail business as
well, there are today, many new
methods of encouraging trade, which
would formerly have seemed absurd.
| will recall the case of travel
ING salesman for Boston hat house,
with whom | was very well &C
quainted, W h a few years ago
opened a gents furnishing and hat
store IN New York city. Not having
overmuch capital SO as to play
waiting game, be was compelled to
do something and do it quickly or
quit and lose his little. AS it happened
to be the time of year when straw
hats were discarded, he conceived
the idea of advertising in all papers
that straw hats would be taken in
trade at fifty cents each; when worn
into the store, not only was he sur
prised in the manner this ruse ap-
pealed to the public, but his greatest
surprise was at the number of better
grade hats that were sold in prefer
ence to the cheap job lot he had on
hand for those who desired such,
for many customer added his fifty
cents or more to new hat. Besides,
as he told me later, he sold over
$4,000 worth of gents furnishings
during the rush, and far better than
all, his place of business became fa-
miliar to many people, so much so,
that when last | saw him he was
proprietor of three such stores.
There are merely a few thousand
of such incidents showing present
day initiative and crea ting demand.
The idea of advertising an article
in demand at certain time of year
under it's usual value, even to the
extent of the loss of a small percent
age in order to draw trade and so
as to dispose of various other lines,
which were left on the dealers hands,
would formerly have been discred-
tied and looked upon with disfavor
and disbelief; not so today. how
ever, such goods are not misrepre-
sented or of an inferior quality. and
the buyer thereof is not overcharged
SO as to make up the deficiency; on
the contrary the buyer is usually
thereby the gamer, for the goods are
of the usual stock and is unwittingly
of assistance to the dealer, who thus
makes room for new stock.
The business letter Of today also
greatly differs from the old style.
where it formerly was couched in a
blunt and rather formal and distant
manner; it is today more friendly.
personal, even intimate, referring to
the parties concerned as co-opera-
tives is disposing of goods and Of
creating implicit confidence in the
writer. or if claims are made, Gus
toners are not antagonized by in.
forming them that such claims are
unreasonable and cannot be con
coded to. ETC.. but are given the ben