The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-12-17
HARD WORK., SERVICE

A recent issue of the Twin City Com
mercial Bulletin mad the following ar.
ticle of local interest, illustrated with
interior views of the store:
Hard work, close attention to de-
tails, service and advertising" These
are in a nut shell, the things to which
the Ellis-Hall Company, Brookings, s..
d., attribute their success.
On this page are two illustrations
of their store and these show that good
arrangement, convenience and display
form an important part of the ser
vice" referred to.
The business has been in existence
about twenty-seven years, but the
present owners, F. M. Ellis and
Charles f. Hall took it over about two
years ago, and 1t was only on Septem-
Der 1, last, that the concern moved
into it's new building.
The stock carried is valued at about
10000, comprising dry goods, ladies'
ready-to-wear, mems and boys cloth
ing. shoes for the whole family, no.
tons and groceries and in the base.
ment is a S and 10 cent department.
When asked about meeting competi-
ton of the retail mail order houses,
Charles e. Hall had this to say: "In
our very first advertisement we took
occasion to say to our patrons and
others, that we did not blame them for
~patroniZing the mail order houses,
maintaining that it was every mans
privilege to spend his money the way
he wished.
1--WE believe that the catalog house
is ~patronized simply because people
think they can do better, and we fol-
low a statement to this effect with an
illustration showing the contrary and
offering to fll any catalog house order
at the same or better prices.
1--WE have been quite successful in
meeting this kind of competition and
some time will write an article on
this subject for you
"a very small portion of our bust
ness is done on credit, this being in a
measure due to the fact that we give a
SO discount for cash in all depart
ments except the grocery. This is an
innovation We started a year ago and
which we were told we could not make
stick. It is a winner.
U1rhf, ;c N uor rioh ganttn, 20 <ha
country and the giving Of credit does
not bother us a whole lot. This may
be due in a measure to the fact that
we use the same methods in looking UP
customers who ask credit. as a jobber
or other business man uses and give
credit only where we think 1t is justi-
fed.
1--WE are not using parcel post to any
extent as yet, but hope some day to be
able to figure out a plan whereby this
may be done successfully"
The Bulletin would like to draw par
ticular attention to the paragraph tell
ing about the credit methods of this
firm. This paper has never been able
to see the reasoning which would al
low a merchant to extend credit to a
customer simply because he asked
for 1t.
The money on the books of hundreds
and hundreds of merchants is sure
evidence that their credit methods are
loose, to be real charitable about 1t.
Many give credit because they are
afraid the customer will go to their
competitor, If they do not, irrespective
of the worthiness of said customer.
The cash discount proposition will
work out we'll in some cases; 1t has
in that of the Ellis-Hall Company, but
in others it will not. 1t is q matter
which each merchant must decide upon
for himself, with due respect to his
own personality.
The Bulletin would appreciate hear
ing from Mr.. Hall on meeting catalog
house competition. He was for a mum
Der of years in the advertising and
sales business and his experience has
fitted him to know what is what and
why, when 1t comes to advertising.
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