The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-02-07
TRUTH TWISTING
HURTS RETAILERS
Customers BamboozIed by Spe-
Cial SaIeS-Misuse Of Adver-
Using Power.
BY HARRY r. DRUMMoND.

GIVE 10 Standardization.
OF the least sought, least bought
things in the average retail store reg
nlar' 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
I'd.
Fake Special Sales.
With the increase of success OF
Clearance Sales" come the CORE
sponding 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 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 fear of tackling any
regular goods at regular prices.
There is 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 seasonable and
holiday merchandise has been reduced
In price one-half and less. Mays ad-
vertised Reductions in Most Depart
ments." Lord e Taylor offered great
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. II
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 f1aunt 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 were easy marks
suckers and dubs. They rub 1t in
and, simply because advertising edu.
Gates. because It really delivers the
goods, they raise howl.
Misuse Of Advertising.
The retailer misuses advertising.
He uses It as a narcotic rather than
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
come time. where the customer who
made purchases on December 1, was
not asked to pay one cent more than
the customer who bought on Decem.
Der -.
This is but n timely Illustration. In
January the bars were let down 30
hat we might buy our winter cloth.
ing. our linens, furniture and many
other staples that should be sold tust
AZ reasonably at one time as another.
II Is the misuse Of power that is do
ing this.
One merchant. IN complaining Of the |
mail order houses and the business
hey DO. said to the writer: why is
4 that people will buy. insight. un
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
goodsf"
The answer was that the mail or
der house sells at liked" prices. and |
the customer feels or knows that he |
Is getting square deal. On the other
hand. the customer might buy a suit |
from the local retailer on Monday for |
rs and see the same suit offered for |
1850 the following Friday