The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-06-05
TRUTH TWISTING
HURTS RETAILERS
Customers BamboozIed by Spe.
cial SaIes-Misuse of Adver-
Using Power.
BY HARRY r. DRuMMoND.

1NCAJ oPOdhAhSt AO huS opShS 'eSN
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
ut the top. Everything is special
and all merchandise is said to be
worth" much more than the prices
asked. People have been taught to
teep away from goods until they are
reduced" in price.
It would be ridiculous to assume
that much of this advertising is truth
fnl. The majority Of 1t Is not 1t
takes an inventive genius to satisfy
the average retailer when he wants an
advertising man.
Truth plain, straightfrom-the-
shoulder truth-seems to have been
crowded out of the advertising pro
gram az far the retailer Is concern
ID
Fake Special Sales.
With the increase of success OF
i 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
nnmber until now there are special
sales six days a week and f1fty-two
weeks a year, barring holidays.
The values quoted during these
g. he ri 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, 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 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 seasonabie and
holiday merchandise has been reduced
IN price one-half and less. Mays ad-
vertised Reductions in Most Depart.
ments." Lord & Taylor offered great
reductions In the prices Of mems
house coats, carriage bags, silk
hosiery, hces, umbrellas. Saks G. 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, SiegelCooper 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 wal
hast year and for years preceding I
win be that way next year. That II
what the retailer is using advertising
for-to educate the people to thes'
tricks that would disgust even Bre
Harris immortalized Heather Chinee
They haunt their breaking faith witt
early shoppers-pay good money 10
space to tell the people who bough
early, in December that they wer
chumps, that they were easy marks
suckers and dubs. They rub 1t in
and, simply because advertising edU
Gates, because It really delivers tn
goods, they raise a howl.
Misuse Of Advertising.
The retailer misuses advertising
He uses it as a narcotic rather tina
a stimulant, and, as he is unfair t
customers, 80 is he unfair to adverti
ing.
There are exceptions to this rul'
There IL one store, of which th
writer was advertising manager fc
some time, where the customer VIII
made purchases on December 1, wa
not asked to pay one cent more tina
the customer who bought on Decen
her ~.
This is but . timely Illustration.
January the bars were let down 4
that we might buy our winter clotl
ing, our linens, furniture and nan
other staples that should be sold Jul
e reasonably at one time as anothe
n IL the misuse Of power that is d
ing this.
One merchant, IN complaining Of II
mail order houses and the busine.
fhey do, said to the writer: why
q that people win buy. insight. u
seen, from mail order houses, trustir
mem 10 pick and choose, while the
pass up the retail store, where the
know the merchant and can see Il
soods!~
the answer was that the mail Q
DER house sells at fixed" prices, al
he customer feels or knows that |
il getting a square deal On the 9TH
hand. the customer might buy a 81
from the local retailer on Monday +
So and see the same suit offered I
1850 the following Friday