Milford chronicle., 1913-05-02
TRUTH TWISTING
HURTS RETAILERS
Customers Bamboozled by Spe
cial SaIeS-MiSuSe of Adver-
tiSing Power.
BY HARRY r. DRuMMoND.

The retailer has contributed liberal
ly to the present condition of things
in the advertising business. Colec-
lively speaking he has spent vast
sums of money in educating the con-
sumer along lines that are not condu-
Give to Standardization.
OF the least sought, least bought
things in the average retail store reg
ular" goods at regular" prices stand
at the top. Everything is special
and all merchandise is said to be
worth" much more than the prices
asked People have been taught to
keep away from goods until they are
reduced" in price.
1t would be ridiculous to assume
that much of this advertising is truth
full The majority of it is not. It
takes an inventive genius to satisfy
the average retailer when he wants an
advertising man.
Truth - plain, straightforward
shoulder truth-seems to have been
crowded out of the advertising pro
gram as far the retailer is concern
ed
Fake Special Sales.
With the increase Of success OF
Clearance Sales" come the CORE
spending dechease Of regular" busi-
ness during the regular" season at
regular" brices-which called for the
invention of special sales
These special sales have grown in
number until now there are special
sales six days = week and tifty-two
weeks a year, barring holidays.
The values quoted during these
sales are for the most part imaginary
purely inventive, but they give the
buying public a fear of tackling any
regular goods at regular prices.
There is a lack of faith, a feeling OF
distrust permeating every line OF
business; a feeling that is proving
disastrous to many retailers and is
at the same time helping the mail or
der houses.
Following Thanksgiving the retail
stores of New York began spending
money right and left, urging early
shopping They do this every year
and they do it less effectively every
year.
Early Shopping Farce.
The Sunday papers of December p
contained among other things, the an
nouncement Of Kesner's store that for
the last mad rush all seasonable and
holiday merchandise has been reduced
in price one-half and less. Macy's ad
vertised Reductions in Most Depart
ments" Lord & Taylor offered great
reductions in the prices Of mems
house coats. carriage bags, silk
hosiery. laces, umbrellas. Saks & Co
mentioned reductions in mems house
coats. women's house robes, motor
case. fur trimmed coats, furs, silk
hose and other appropriate Christmas
goods Greenhut, Siegel-Cooper Co
announced "a two days sale Of Christ
mas goods. in which regular prices are
heavily reduced" and so on ad lib.
Fine lot of stuff It was that way
last year and for years preceding II
will be that way next year That is
what the retailer is using advertising
for-to educate the people to these
tricks that would disgust even Bret
Harts immortalized Heather Chinee.
They flaunt their breaking faith with
early shoppers-pay good money for
space to tell the people who bought
early in December that they were
chumps, that they were easy marks
suckers and dubs They rub it in
and. simply because advertising edu.
Gates. because It really delivers the
goods. they raise howl
Misuse Of Advertising.
The retailer misuses advertising
He uses. it as a narcotic rather than
a stimulant, and, as he is unfair to
customers, so is he unfair to advertis
ing.
There are exceptions to this rule
There is one store. Of which the
writer was advertising manager for
some time. where the customer who
made purchases on December I, was
not asked to pay one cent more than
the customer who bought on Decem.
ber "a
This is but a timely illustration. IN
January the bars were let down so
that we might buy our winter cloth
ing. our linens. furniture and many
other staples that should be sold lust
as reasonably at one time as another
It is the misuse Of power that is do
ing this
One merchant. in complaining Of the
mail order houses and the business
they do. said to the writer: "Why is
it that people will buy, insight un-
seen. from mail order houses. trusting
them to pick and choose, while they
pass up the retail store, where they
know the merchant and can see the
goods?"
The answer was that the mail or
der house sells at "s1ed" prices. and
the customer feels or knows that he
is getting a square deal. On the other
hand. the customer might buy suit
from the local retailer on Monday for
$25 and see the same suit offered for
$3.50 the following Friday.