The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1915-07-09

AANiC 70 NuCrbiOiA ANOs O.
Is the. Ekind of advertising copy
used in most Of our country town
papers well: calculated, in your
opinion, to get paying results, or
to pull trade in competition with
the fine illustrated catalogues which
quote prices and which are sent to
the homes of the country people by
the big houses in the city?
We will be pleased to have an ex-
preston of opinion from our readers
on these questions in additian to those
asked in a previous issue and which
will be repeated later.
Following is a continuation Of the
letter appearing In last weeks issue;
Dear Mr.. Editor;
] want to emphasize this thought.
The home town merchant must meet
competition with the cityman's plan Of
getting the bushes. How do the big
stores in the city attract buyers? How
do the catalogue houses get the
business?
| can almost in fancy hear our coun-
try to~n hardware dealer, or the gen.
al s'oreeeeper. start in with forty
four reasons but there is really just
one good reason. The other forty three
are imaginary. The real secret is tact
and enterprise. The city men and the
home town merchants are fishing IN the
same water, but the former know how
to bait hook so as to hide the iron
and as a result the fish grab it, are
strung on string and hung over the
side of the boat before they know where
they are at. In the meantime the
country merchant is patiently waiting
for nibble.
The order-catching catalogue from
the merchant in the city starts off with
dazzling array of bargain counter
utility items in hardware. There are
nice pictures of tools which every farmer
every mechanic, and country town boy
has daily use for. These items include
everything from wire at lc per spool to
hinges. locks, pliers, hammers, and
saws at sc to 12c and so on up to fancy
tool-chests, the mere look of which
will, in connection with the price, put
the average farmers boy into dream
land. There is a good illustration of
everything and dirt cheap price in
plain figures.
Then comes the department for the
women folks. Everything they have
use for is before them at a bargain
offer. All grades are quoted, from
the cheapest to the best Further
there is the guarantee in big letters.
IF for any reason you want to return
the goods and get your money back,
you can do so and we will pay the freight
both ways" What man, boy or woman
can escape that offer? The result is.
the order goes out by the next mail
just as sure as daylight follows the sun,
and the home town merchant has lost
just that much profit.
That's an up-to. date way of doing
business. 1t gets the order. Now
contrast it with the methods Of the
hardware dealer in a country town
who keeps his small tools and incl-
ientals out of sight. where there is
but little chance for them to attract
the attention Of the farmer or his son.
There may he some fine tools of the
better grades, such as pliers, saws,
hammers, bits and other incidentals
displayed in the window or showcase,
but the prices are usually hidden away
as a means of compelling the customer
to ask for what he wants. As usual
thing be does not ask, under the mis-
taken belief that il Is more than be can
afford to pay. There is none Of the
atmosphere of bargain sale about the
premises or the pulling force which the
catalogue with its alleged cheap prices
carries with it. The result is, buyes
come to the store only when an en-
Urgency compels them to. or when they
have no money and want to buy on
credit.
How many country merchants ask
themselves this question:
Can sell as cheap as the catalogue ]
houses If quality is considered
have talked to many country town
'torekeepers. and they invariably an
Iwer yes To this question, and claim
hat they can sell a. cheap. but they
.annot convince the farmers Of that
act.
Here is another question: {
Cannot the country merchant afford Z
Q carry the cheaper grade Of goods /
n his line which are most in dsmandl I
Nest importent Of al. cannot the
l0.ne town merchant afford = ssIl
. > Sloser margin Of profit Il be tuFns J
lie stock over ners Frequently nd