The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-10-06
TRADE OF SUMMER
. COLONY HELPS
BENNINGTON
l1cal Merchants HaYe Learned to
Meet Its Requirements
is INCREASING EVERY YEAR
Purchasers Have Come to Know That
Stores Carry Up-to-date
Stocks.
is INCREASING EVERY YEAR

"That man who just went out with
the big bundle" said the clerk in one
of the Bennington clothing stores
the other day, lis New Yorker who
used to live in Paris most of the
time. He couldn't so to Europe this
year because of the war and he has
put in the summer here. He has
bought lot of stuff in the store and
he says we've got the big city stores
skinned alive on prices and that
we're putting up the quality at the
same time"
Now, you know" continued the
clerk, I've been here with the boss
for quite few years, and, if do say
it, ] think I'm pretty well acquainted
with the trade And one of the
things I've noticed is the way that
the summer people who live up town
are patronizing the local stores. ]
can remember when we didn't sell
EN- any thing unless it was a collar
or two, a necktie or perhaps a shirt
Now the men buy quite lot of their
furnishings and some of their cloth
ing in the store and we sell pile of
stun for the kids Only yesterday
We QUILTED three boys with suits,
caps and stockings. Their mother
came in with them and the first thing
he said was, were going back to
the city next week and | want the
boys fixed up for school, She didn't
want anything elaborate. Just we'll
made, good fitting suits that would
stand the gaif. She knew what she
wanted and we didn't have a particle
of trouble in making the sales.
"a few years ago the summer PEG.
pie used to bring up everything they
ate and wore from the city. | don't
mean everything, of course, hut they
apparently had the idea that they
couldn't have the things they want
cd and the things they were used to
unless they did bring them There
has been a big change in few years
and it means good bit of money for
the store in the course of year. We
have to do some studying and we
have to broaden some of our lines to
hold tho trade but we are swinging
it and we have reason to believe that
they appreciate what we're doing"
The little trade lecture by the
clothing store clerk prompted an in
vestigation at other places OF bust
ness. The proprietors of the dry
goods stores were not able to con-
firm, outright, the clothing store
clerks statement relative to the radi-
cal change in purchasing on the part
of the summer visitors. According
to the dry goods men, the summer
people have always been good custo-
mers for certain lines of staple
goods. The business, they said, was
growing every year and the pur-
chases were taking a wider range.
One of the dry goods men cited the
sale Of some women's suits only a
few days previous to purchasers who
were about to return to the city. The
business, he said, had been growing
through process of education.
There would be occasions when suns
mer people upon their arrival az l
the opening of the season would find
that they were one or two short of
some necessary article and they
would express surprise that they
were able to complete the number at
the local store. 1--WE always miss
them when they're gone" he said
They're excellent people to do bust
ness WITH always considerate and
agreeable and the trade is worth
quite a sum to us in the course of
the year"
Another dry goods man said that
he had always received a good pat
ronase from the people up town"
1t was his experience that they want
ed good quality materials He had
not found it necessary to make many
stock extensions because of the sum
mer trade 1t was his belief that the
women were pretty good
judges of the right thing to wear.
druggist said that his trade with
the summer residents had been grow
ing steadily for a number of years.
He is one of the longest established |
in his line and said that he could re- |
when not much of the sum
mer business came to his store. In |
recent years, however, as he had |
taken pains to study their wants he |
has come to realize that many of the |
purchases of articles which the sum
mer residents formerly made while /
on shopping trips to Troy and Albany |
have since been diverted in his direc
ton. What I like about the sum
mer people," he said, sis their loyal
Iy to you once they learn that you
are trying to meet their wants. They |