New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-10
DRYGOODS AND TEXTILE NOTES.
SPRING WORK II NEW YORK BUYING
OFFICE.


/ DRYGOODS AND TEXTILE NOTES.
SPRING WORK II A NEW YORK BUYING
OFFICE
Work of the New York Office tow
ard the purchases for such large de-
partment store as the Silk, Baer &
Fuller Company, Of St. Louis, at the be-
| ginning of a seasons business has
never been so strenuous as now. On
the tenth floor of the Masonic Build
ing, at II West 23d ST., one might THINK
from the number of statesmen waiting
70 see the buyers that large part OF
the New York trade was trying TO sell
to the Silk, Baer & Fuller store.
At the opening OF a new season, when
the visiting department buyer has 10
look at different lines, even though some
of them have little interest for him. the
competent New York Office and its stan
are Of invaluable assistance. That New
York Office man must be a merchandise
man Of the first class in order TO be OF
any value to that home department
buyer. He must be posted on every de-
tail and be able TO talk lntelllgently
about any article bought and sold in a
department store Weeks before the
arrival of these individual buyers he
begins to look at merchandise, make
comparisons, take data of good things
shown. notes lengths of coats or widths
of skirts and what so-and-so rs making
whom he considers an authority IN his
line.
The progressive department store to-
day thinks nothing Of the expense OF
sending buyers to the market frequent
" and also sends the assistants and
heads of stock, who not only help in
making selections and give their opin-
ion, which is always valuable, for they
are the ones who really come in con-
tact with the customer, but they also
absorb valuable knowledge, which they
in turn impart to the subordinates
down the line, all Of which goes to
make a competent and thorough organi-
cation and better and more effective
service.
II is nothing out Of the ordinary for
twenty to thirty buyers and assistants
Of Silk, Baer & Fuller to land in New
York on Monday for weeks purchas-
ing trip and be in St. Louis the follow
ing Monday, ready for business.
BUYING AND SELLING MADE EASY.
The Now York wholesale merchant
and out-of-town buyer come in contact
with each other without any loss OF
time whatever. The buyers arrival Is
obtained from the New York office, and
the following morning he is reported IN
the what the Buyers Will Look At
column in The Tribune. and that morn
ing the man who has anything TO sell
can come TO his Office and either show
IL TO him or interest him enough to
have him call and look over the goods.
Il is the consensus of opinion that
il is a area. mistake to urge buyers to
make large purchases. Naturally the
seller wants to 60 as much business as
he can, but it is not good business to
rush too big quantities on a buyer.
judging from the expression OF all sue
cessful department buyers the good
merchandiser is the man who Is always
open for merchandise; the one who can
always buy, the one who is never fllled
up and can always take advantage Of
the market Such a man you will find
"a winner and money maker, for he
can control himself and hold his de.
partment safe.
II is easy to buy, and there is a ma
tcrial temptation 10 load up with mer-
ohandise, but Sigmond Baer, of Silk,
Bacr e. Fuller, who IS the merchandise
man of the firm, told me that il is ad-
visable 10 pay an advance If Necessary,
and that the quick turnover and n
small profit was always more desirable
than to load up with extra quantities
e merchandise, which always deterl-
crates in value. The attempt 10 "sit
on the lid" and hold down purchases
too tight can also be overdone, but the
clever merchandise man will not allow
the stocks of his store and his assort-
ments 10 suffer so that his customers
will have TO 90 elsewhere for some OF
The most staple articles.
Service is the slogan in all well
regulated department stores, and in
this respect all can emulate the Wan
amaker store. OF this city.
THE MERCHANDISING QUESTION.
One can hear all sorts of stories
about the merchandise man. To hear
some buyers talk he is like a DOGGY
man." All that some of them want is
10 be allowed 10 buy unlimitedly, have
no one to check up their purchases, 90
along and have their own way in every
thing. The salesman usually helps
this type Of buyer along with that old
chestnut argument that you must have
plenty of stock 20 do business with.
True, one must have stock, and the
merchandise man wants him TO have
all the stock he needs The firm has
money TO pay for it, but it does not
want man TO buy his head of and
then eat Up his profits working of that
surplus. The trouble is that so many
buyers know so little about really mer-
chandising their own departments. and
on the other hand some merchandise
men do not really know enough about
the drygoods game itself 70 help him.
The merchandise man, Mr.. Baer says,
does rot get on the firing line enough.
He should mix in with the buyers in
the market. lie must get the touch OF
the elbow in the trade 10 really know
what is what. Sending a buyer to the
market with a fixed limit is all wrong.
II that merchandise man were a dry
goods man in every sense of the word,
and he got about and saw conditions
OF the market regarding goods being
bought, he would sometimes double
enc buyers purchasing power and often
cut the other fellows in half. That is
why the old buyer or the merchant who
used to buy his own goods makes the
best merchandise man. and il he can
acquire the mathemRtician's end OF il
besides he will make q model merchan-
disc man. The merchandise mar, he
adds. must know more than the buyer
and be able 10 show him his errors and
where and how 10 remedy them. He
must instil confidence into those under
him, and then he will have capable
crew and the store will develop and
forge ahead, and on that is based the
success Of the Silk, Bser & Fuller Com
pany. Of 81. LOUIS.