The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-04-24
BOYS 10 Ear Contest
HOW THE RETAIL MERCHANT
MAY MEET THE MAIL
ORDER HOUSE

That the mail order house has a
striking advantage over the retailer
is a mistaken fact and one which Is
taking several million dollars out of
the community every year. This fact
is not even true when we consider the
additional factor of the parcel post
which if put to use is but a feather in
the retailers cap. The entire secret
lies in the fact that the mail order
house applies twenty times as much
ingenuity in overcoming their disabili-
ties as the retailers do in taking ad-
vantage and utilizing their superior
opportunities.
Note some of these superior advant-
ages. The retailer is on the ground
every day in the community in
which his sales are made and
meets the consumer face to face
which Is certainly stronger than meet
ing him by letter. The mail order
house must go to the expense of writ
ing and constant inquiry and then
make a card index system which re.
quires attention all the time, while the
retailer may have his with very little
cost and has the use of his money for
good advertising purposes in his. local
lied field. The retailer needs to spend
more time studying and Analysing his
field.
1t is a common thing to hear the re-
taller abuse the mail order house just
like one automobile agent runs down
another car. This has been proven to
be harmful and an argument which
loses sales in that field hence an argu-
ment Of qualities is urged by diotribu-
ton instead. Thus the retailer should
profit by others experience and be will
ing to spend enough time with the con-
sumner to show him that his prices
compare ~favorably with the mail order
prices plus the amount of freight and
that the quality may be relied upon
for he sees what he buys at the time
of purchase. Another item is the pur-
pose of carrying a large stock of goods.
This Is purely for the consumers con-
venience, so as to enable him to fill his
wants when he wants them and not
have to put a great deal of available
cash in goods at hand as he does in
ordering from the foreign house. Credit
is not known to the catalog house
while the retailer carries a great deal,
purely for the consumers convenience.
The local mechant should find IL the
leak is not in this particular phase and
the mere offering of it should remedy
it. If the consumer desires goods of
mail order quality and character the
retailer could arrange with his jobber
for filling such orders ever to the ex.
tent OF shipping in individual lots. The
jobber desires just such trade but how
car 1t be made use of IL unknown to
the consumer. Every family gained
and held by strictly honorable mean
counts for just that much more in the
success of the retailer. II the con.
sumner sees at first that the local mer
chants stock and advantages are "jusi
al good" as his catalog house 1t will
not be long before he realizes where 1t
is better. The public does not buy
from a printed and pictured descrip-
ton naturally but desires inspection
and IL satisfied purchases. The merits
of the goods may be seen on the shelf
or counter OF the retailer and the con-
sumner can weigh the advantage or
suitability of the article he purchases
and hence will not be put out In the
least by goods not being up to what