Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1911-11-02
LOCAL MERCHANT
FIGHTING NOW
Big Wholesalers Help Hin XIII
Mall Order Game.
GIVE HIM "lITERATURE. /"
With Which He Bombards the Women
Folks and Shows Them the Foolish
ness Of Spending Time and Fare to
Shop In the City.

H0ss " spending lime anu v are 70
Shop In the City.
At last that bugaboo of the local
merchant, the mail order house, is
meeting brisk competition from the
home tradesman, and with mail order
methods at that, says James Kells In
the Chicago Tribune.
Just as the Japanese lowered the
pride of Russia by using the white
mans implements OF warfare. SO the
small town storekeeper. who has felt
himself downtrodden by the postal
magnates of the big centers, has
adopted the usages of his enemy and Is
beginning to .'cut in
Catalogues, Paris fashion posters.
follow up" letters and price lists, all
the pet weapons of the big mail order
houses by which they command rural
trade, have been seized by merchants
to keep the money Of the countryside
at home. The rural free delivery mail
routes are now being burdened with
the literature of nearby mercantile
firms, which clash effectively with
gaudy pamphlet outputs Of the big
city plants
Intensive retailing" is one OF the
names coined to describe the new sys.
tenn. In results it is claimed that Ii
win beat intensive farming Certainly
the field is as yet raw, and If the in.
yentors have read the American house
wife rightly the reaping will be album
dant.
For example. wen say that ], B.
Sellers is proprietor of the Beehive
department store in Jokopolis. Ia Far
from being beehive, his establish
ment has more resembled a deserted
grotto or cave OF the winds Mail
order competition has cut heavily into
his business. His former customers
have been assailed by booklets flled
with pretty pictures. tempting price
figures and selling arguments, I which
are as the song OF the Lorelei against
his own circulars, crudely printed and
crudely composed.
The building Of the interurban trolley
helped him some. enabling farmers
wives 70 get into town and within
reach Of his attractive displays OF
real goods But the thrall Of the
pretty pictures is over them; also
the idea Of getting their garments
direct from the big city In turn the
wholesaler In the metropolis feels the
decline of sales In the Beehive This
is the natural effect, which pinches
early But now the wholesaler, like
husky big brother, comes to the
rescue Of Mr.. Sellers and by the same
blow resuscitates his own total of
profits.
The wholesaler, with money at his
command and In close touch with the
heart Of things, Ii in position to buy
talent and brains. This he does, and
soon the machinery which is to &C.
complish the checking of mail order
competitors is In motion.
"A procession of catalogues, posters.
order blanks. ''typewritten" letters
and follow up communications be.
gins to fow toward the clientele of
Mr.. Sellers IN Jokopolis Every one
of his former customers. as well as
prospective ones. receives brand new
consignment of merchandising 'litera-
ture'
This literature is even more attrac-
tive than any that has come before
ATT first the curious housewife Il under
the impression that another big mail
order firm has obtained her name for
Its list
Imagine her amazement when she
observes that on the flrst page OF the
colored catalogue, right under the New
port girl and her bunch Of orchids. are
the insignia Of the Beehive department
store. Jokopolis She Is startled again
when she receives i typewriter letter,
addressed In her own name, inviting
her to examine the stock Of Chicago
made garments now on display at the
Beehive. It is~all personal. and the
word you Ii underlined,
Perhaps she puts or her visit to the
Beehive through press Of household
duties With Jolt she Is reminded Of
her duty to herself and to the fashion
able ensemble DE the community by d
second typewriter missive, which ex-
presses deepest disappointment that
she has not called and urges her, above
all things. to be sure to pay her visit
nit the earliest possible moment. Be
fore she has time to pin on her bat an
other envelope arrives containing "pics
ture samples Of fall suitings obtain
able at the Beehive On her way &c
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