The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1913-12-11
COUNTRY MERCHANT
SHOULD LOOK AHEAD

In following NJ the line of thought
regarding the great conflict between
the country merchant and the mail
order house, it is we'll to look into
the methods of both aud see if some
of the blame cannot be brought to the
door of tho home man.
The ever ready catalog has been
discussed previously and will only be
used for example in this article. 1t
is the mail order houses travelling
salesman, or, more directly speaking,
the srore itself in pictures, the illus
trations and prices being the sales
man. The ready money and Uncle
Sans money order system do the rest.
But the point in favor of the catalog
and this is point which the home
merchant should take into oonsidera-
tion and profit thereby, is that it is
always a little in advance of the
season. By the time the local 1ealer
has placed his order for the next sea-
sons goods, or at least by the time
he is expecting their arrival the cat
alog has arrived and the mail order
patron is contemplating the extent of
the next shipment of goods. And, 1T
might be added, at the same time he
is figuring to what extent the local
dealer will carry him for his winters
flour, sugar, mill feed. etc. This is
no idle dream, but method indulged
in by dozens of people who trade in
Heppner. Now the question comes;
who is to blame or where is the
blame?
In the first place it appears Il at the
credit system is at the bottom of most
of the trouble The local dealer
wishes to be accnmoda ating. has a de-
sire to aid in the uDhuildiug of the
town and county and feels that if by
credit to customer he is
aiding that party in harvesting crop
or otherwise helDing him to realize
iced has been done and the reputation
# the store has been strengthened
\ nd in many CASES that is so. Good
itizens appreciate such treatment and
rack up their appreciation with in
reased trade. But there is the
who always has a lot of
potatoes, cabbage, rutabagas. onions
nd other produce of the farm, such
s the country merchant has more than
Ie can handle, which he wishes to take
or provisions at the store. This man
lever has any cash for the home mer-
hant bot an occasional visit to the
warehouse will show you where the
money goes. He didn't ship his po-
atoes to Rice and PheIan. Then
Why should the local man always take
lis potatoes?
Visit this mans home and you will
ind the inevitable cataIoR, telling
i'm what his money will buy, Just
ow long it will take to get it, and
lways dwelling at length upon the
dvantages to be derived from trading
t his store. Terms strictly cash
ever a word about credit.
Credit is a nice thing, but the busi-
ess house that gets cash for its stock
} the one that builds up the biggest
rade and gives its customers the best
OF the money.
The home merchant can fight the
lail order house by adopting some of
IS methods. No business will branch
ut very far until it has learned the
alue of printers ink A merchant
lay have the finest line of goods in
he world but unless he proclaims it
broad he will have hard time sell !
lg out. The mail order business is !
onducted almost entirely through the Y
dvertising medium. Mr.. Merchant |
ihy don't you use a little gray mat
sr and go after a little of this out
ding cash.