The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1913-02-28
PARCEL POST TRADE.

For several years we have had dinned
into our ears doleful tales of woe of what
was to happen to the country dealer
when the pare, ! post jug-rnaut arliv-
ed. An analysis OF this sentiment,
which was and is vet honestly entertain
ed by thousands Of small country mrr-
chants, interesting. The suspicion
is not wholly wanting that the expr. s.
hao very early knowledge Of
this impending doom; a large number
OF the trade papers, of which there are
hundreds, with surprising unanlmity
became obsesseu with the idea that y
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 weekly messaoe Of death
to parcel post. and little wonder that
the dealer decame infected.
The main line story was that parcel
post was the dream Of that arch enemy
of the county mechant the mail-order
house. THIS statement became an &C
cepted fact, not even worthy OF discussion.
Now, the parcel system will doubtless
he Of some advantage to the blg mail.
order houses. but nothing like we have
been told The articles which they sell
practical to 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. 1t costs
them practically as much to put dol
lar order thr, ugh the house as 1t costs
to put twenty five through. And if their
entire business was in single shipments
of dollar articles, they would not make
much money. The low priced articles
of common use are sold nearly as cheap.
ly at the corner store. For instance, a
man wants 5-gallon can which his
home dealer sells for Sl.20. The mail
order house sells the same identical can
tor IS cents. But by the time the Gus
toner buys money order and pays for
parcel postage it costs him s1.l5. Il the
buyer is ordering bill of goods, that is
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 par
Gel sestem to the small country dealer.
A customer comes in to order, say, an
unusual size of screwdriver. Dealer is
out; in fact, the last call for one was a
year ago, therefore he cannot afford to
stock up. He explains to the Customer
ana says he can have one IN two days.
Very good. He spends one cent on q
postal card ordering from his jobber in
the city, who mails it 800 miles for z
cents. Ithas cost the merchant II cents
for the tool and 8 cents postage, total ~
cents, and it retails for 80 cents. with a
net profit of 10 cents or SO per cent.
Under the old rsgime the express char.
ges would have absorbed all the profit,
or more.
A new business, or ratLer the develop
ment aud expansion Of an old oae. which
will come with parcel post, is the manu-.
facture and sale of cartons, or paste.
board containers for mailing all sorts of
things.
In Great Britain the parcel post is
very profitable to the government, a
large volume of business being done in
local city delivery. Many OF the smaller
shops use it exclusively for delivery, as,
for instance, box of cigars bought at
l p. m. On the Strand will be delivered
at 4 to 5 p. m. 8 miles distant for about
3 cents of our money. We have nothing
to compare with this at present, but in
due time doubtless will. In the larger
cities the parcels are not delivered by
the letter carrier, but by men with push
carts.-H. H.. Windsor in the March
Popular Merchanics Magazine.