The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1913-02-20
The Country Dealer.

For several years We have had
dinned into our ears dolefnl tales
of woe of what was TO happen to
the country dealer when the par
eel-post iuggernaut arrived. An
analysis of this sentiment, which
was and is yet honestly entertain
ed by thousands of small country
merchants. is interesting. The sus-
picion is not wholly wanting that
ne express companies had very
early knowledge OF this impending
doom; large number OF the
trade papers, OF which there are
hundreds, with a surprising unan-
unity became obsessed with the
idea that parcel post meant the
end of the country dealer, with
the easy conclusion, No country
dealer, little need for the trade
paper" Hence, for years the
trade paper has carried its week
ly message of death to parcel post,
and little wonder that the dealer
became infected
The main line story was that
parcel post was the dream of that
arch enemy of the country mer-
chant, the mail-order house. This
statement became an accepted
fact, not even worthy of discussion.
Now. the parcel system will doubt
rSs be- OF some advantage TO the
Jg mail-order houses. but nothing
Ike what we have been told The
rticles which they sell, practical
o send by mail. are not so many
after all. What the mail-order
houses make their money on are
not sales under one dollar, but over
ten. II costs them practically as
much TO put a dollar order through
the house as ii does one for TWEEN
ly-fiye dollars And II their entire
business were in single shipments
4 dollar articles. they wouldn't
make much money. The low-priced
articles OF common use, Of which
here are hundreds. are sold near
~ as cheaply at the corner store.
For instance, man wants g.
gallon can which his home dealer
sells for $l20. The maiI-order
house sells the same identical can
for IS cents. But by the time the
customer buys a money order and
pays for parcel postage 1t has cost
him sll5. If the buyer is order
Ing a bin OF goods, that's another |
matter. but the shipment then goes
by freight. not parcel post
Another angle which does not
seem to be taken into account. but |
which very soon will be, is the
advantage Of the parcel system IL
he small country dealer. A Gus
-omer comes In TO order. say. an uH-
usual size OF screw-driver. Dealer
4 out. IL fact, the last call for one
sas a year ago. therefore he can.
not afford TO stock up. lie explains
% the customer and says he can
AVE che In two days. Very good
Ne spends one cent on postal
ard ordering from his jobber Ia
he city. who mails il 900 miles fos
cents |, has cost the merchant
y cents for the tool and cents
hostage. total 20 cents. aud 1t re-
ais for 80 cents. with a net profit
4 10 cents or 50 per cent. Under
Ne old regime the express chargee
sonld have absorbed all the profit,
" more.
A new business. or rather the
development; and expansion 81 an
"a one which viii come wlsh par
- post. il the manufacture and
ale o. cartons. or pasieboard con-
Aiaers for mailing all sorts Of
hihgs.
IN Gr~at Britain the parcel pos,
: Tery profitable 10 the govern
aeat large volume ~ business
'eirg done in local city delivery
iAny q the smaller shops use !;
keiusissly Tor delivery. "a. for in
isaee. bon o. cigars bough, a,