The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-03-12
Turing TRADE
MANUFACTURERS, MERCHANTS
AND ADVERTISERS LEAGUE
TO TRY OUT AN IDEA.

Hampton, Ia MATCH ii ne
Buy IL In fiampton-Thrlce Guar
anteed Goods movement has turned
the interest of the business world to
this little town in northern Iowa. A
shoe dealer of this city was in Min
neapolis a week ago, calling upon a
large retail house. He was summon
ed into the private office and asked.
What Is this Hampton plan ! have
been reading about?" Thus its fame
has gone over the country.
To state IL briefly. the Hampton
plan" Is a coupling up" OF the local
merchants with the advertising OF
leading manufacturers to increase
the prominence of the town as a trad
ing center and TO lay the foundation
for general community building. The
business men are pushing standard
nationally advertised goods and edu-
eating the t~ownspeople and the farm
er to purchase them. The Hampton
plan" Is not a get-rich-quick. spectac-
ular idea. II Is a permanent con-
certed effort of the business men. aid
ed by manufacturers and advertising
mediums. to make Hampton the
trading center of the county. The
farmer will be persuaded that he can
shop more cheaply and satisfactorily
in Hampton than by mail.
Already the results OF the move
ment are being felt and Ii has been
in operation scarcely two months.
Merchants are trading with each 9TH
er more than ever before. Local
firms are shaping their advertising
with a definite purpose In view. They
are advertising their goods and not
their stores or themselves.
1t all happened In a novel way.
The Hampton Commercial associa-
tion held a meeting elected new Of
ficers and resolved that 1915 would
see a change in business methods in
this city. 1t realized the necessity
OF taking radical steps toward draw
ing more of the county trade to the
county seat. The merchants decided
to cooperate for the good of all.
About this time the trades rela-
tionship committee OF the Agricul-
tural Publishers association met in
Des Moines to formulate plans to
carry out the idea outlined at a re-
cent meeting in New York. III. G..
Larimer, a clothing dealer in Chart
ton, Ia. was asked to relate his sue
cess in selling advertised goods. Mr.
Larimer has built up a yearly retail
business of 100000 in a small town
by pushing advertised goods. ere
ating new desires on the part OF buy
ers Of merchandise and by thus dem
onstrating the merits OF my store"
During November SO per cent of Mr..
Larimer's sales were with farmers.
He suggested to the committee that
they select some town suitable for
the purpose and try out the plan.
Accordingly Hugh Mcvey. adver-
Using counselor OF Successful Farm
ing. was sent to Hampton. In Mr..
Mcvey's report he said: II found by
studying the conditions that the town
is ideally located for such a demon
stration as we have in mind, for IL
has a large possible trading radius.
being the only large town in the
county. it's population being 1900.
The merchants now draw more OF
less trade from all parts of the coun-
ty. Also an encouraging feature so
far as the success of the plans Is con-
cerned, is that a very large share of
the trade in the county nov goes
away to outside towns. This will
give US a chance to produce more
marked results than II the town was
this trade"
At a meeting OF the trades rela-
tionship committee and the CONNER
cial association, the merchants in
the plan Of the publishers and
the movement was launched.
Many trade papers Immediately
sent representatives to study the