Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1913-03-28
TRUTH TWISTING
HURTS RETAILERS
Customers BamboozIed by Spe.
ciaI SaIes-Misuse of Adver-
Using Power.
by HARRY r. DRUMMoND.


sums of money in educating the con-
sumner 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 1t is not 1t
takes an inventive genius to satisfy
the average retailer when he wants an
advertising man.
Truth - plain, straight-frOm-the-
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" bust
ness during the regular" season at
regular" prices-which called for the
invention" of special sales"
These special sales have grown in
number until now there are special
sales six days a week and fifty-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 lack of faith, feeling of
distrust permeating every line of
business; 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 1t less effectively every
year.
Early Shopping Farce.
The Sunday papers of December %
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. Mays adj
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! 1t was that way
last year and for years preceding. 1t
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
Harris immortalized Heather Chinee
They fiaunt 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 we're easy marks,
suckers and dubs. They rub 1t in
and, simply because advertising edu-
Gates, because 1t really delivers the
goods, they raise howl.
Misuse of Advertising.
The retailer misuses advertising.
He uses it as 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 /, was
not asked to pay one cent more than
the customer who bought on Decem-
Der "a.
This is but timely illustration. In
January the bars we're let down so
that we might buy our winter cloth
ing. our linens, furniture and many
other staples that should be sold Just
as reasonably at one time as another.
1t 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, I'M
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 mall or
der house sells at fixed" prices, and
the customer feels or knows that he
is getting a square deal. On the other
hand. the customer might buy a suit
from the local retailer on Monday for
SIS and see the same suit offered for