Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1912-04-06
BY Mr.. CEEGTHAM

OF MN. GftP r1RM
To attract local trade to hone nor
chants and hold II there, the mer.
chants must keep in mind the follow.
ing gene al rules
1--fiuv good goods.
2--Pricc them REASONABLE.
3--Advertisc them carefully.
4--Display them properly.
adopt q liberal store policy.
G-Keep up YOUR stock.
Taking these up In the order no
| ted, as regards the first. | would say
/ that no matter what line any partic.
ular merchant may be in, II he would
build up and retain n local clientele,
he must handle only good and reliable
goods goods which lie can recon.
mend and guarantee To the limit:
| such goods sold 20 a customer once
will bring that customer back for
some more of the same; II will do
more than that, for the satisfied Gus
toner will be a walking advertise.
ment of the merchant and bring other
customers to his store. These, prop.
erly handled, will in their turn become
boosters-all. of course, to that mer.
chants profit
| Trade papers are great help now.
adays In the buying Of good goods; a
successful merchant takes and care
fully reads one or more papers pub.
| lished in the interest of his particular
line; these papers cover almost ev.
cry line of retail merchandising and
In many cases are edited by very able
stats: they keep the merchant In
close touch with the wholesaler and
manufacturer and often point out
months ahead some line or some fea'
ture that will be of great interest to
his trade at certain season and give
him a tip to get busy and anticipate
the retail demand or course they are
not infallible, but the better ones can
usually be depended upon. The ad
vertising of manufacturers and whole
salers is usually worthy of the care
full attention of the retailer; he will
often see the very goods advertised
which his customers have been ask
ing for and which up to that time, he
knew not where to obtain.
Price your goods reasonably
Prices are a great item in the matter
of creating and holding trade. BE sat
isfied with a fair profit.--don't charge
all the traffic will bear; the merchan
who does 10000 worth of business OF
a lO-pcr-cent. basis IL far better OF
that the one who tries to get 10 pc
cent and keeps his sales around thu
$4,000 mark-lots of business at
small per cent. of profit Is better thai
small amount of business at larg
per cent. of profit, to my way of think
ing. Mail order catalogues are to-
easily obtained by the public for an
local merchant or combination O
merchants to imagine that he or the
have a monopoly of any one line o
trade and that the prices can be boost
ed accordingly.
3-Advertise your goods carefully
Fortunes are wasted as well as mad
by the use OF printers ink; the mer
matter of space In this paper or tina
one Is In itself Of no impOrtance-it'
what is put into that space tina
counts: ten inches of space properl
filed Is often worth as much as
page. while. conversely, ten inches e
eDace are often worth nothing at al
Prepare your ad. with care: rule OF
your space and fit your copy to II
that's your work, not the printers
he IL paid to set type, not to get u
good selling ais. Select. II possible
a certain type and use that type at a
times; get certain position In tn
paper or papers OF your preference
and hold this position at all times
people will eventually look there 10
your ad. to find out what you have /
offer. Personal advertising should nc
be overlooked; make list of you
customers or of people whom 20
would like to have for customers an
whenever you have something tina
you think is unusually attractive or q
special value mail them a small, nea
ly printed card and watch for results
4-Display your goods properly
make your show windows attractive
changing them as often as YOU ca
and make each one look different fror
previous ones; people will soon begi
to comment on those windows an
,bnt n,aang gnlaS' lnnk after intpriO