The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-03-01

ATTRACTS ATTENTION.
The big Furniture Store of +. S.
Stewart Draws National At
| tentiOn to Leon.
A whole page is devoted in the
February issue of the Furniture Mer-
of F. S. Stewards Big Furniture
Store at Leon, on which are also
small reproductions of two of Mr.
Stewards rug advertisements. MI.
Stewart is one of the best advertis-
ers in southern Iowa. He prepares
strong believer in newspaper pub
licity. Just six years ago this week
Mr.. Stewart came to Leon, and en-
gagged in the furniture and undertake
ing business, and he has built up a
business which is the wonder of many
merchants in much larger cities. He
carries the best line of furniture and
rugs to be found in southern Iowa,
and tells the people about them, and
! the result has been enormously big
sales. Here is what the Furniture
Merchants Trade Journal says about
Mr.. Stewart and his business meth.
DDS:
Selling fifty or more rugs, ranging
in price from $35 to SIS, in one year
inhabitants, is just what F.. S. Stew
art, proprietor of The Big Furniture
and Rug Store in Leon, Iowa, started
out to do-and did.
The manufacturer from whom this
merchant buys these rugs, sells direct
~ len fivnr 1,n no.
tail price. TO carry this line, which
is confined to one merchant in, a
town, the merchant must guarantee
to buy at least fifty rugs in one year.
AS result of his sales, Stewart
bears the distinction OF being repre-
sentative for this line Of rugs in the
smallest town in the state where they
are sold.
Newspaper Advertising the Pulling
Its our newspaper advertising
that brings our prospects into the
store" said Mr.. Stewart, "and once
they get here, our statesmen complete
the sale
Newspaper space is the only form
of adyertising which this merchant
uses. In this Iowa town are two or
the 'livest' country weeklies to be
found in the state. Each OF them
with a circulation that enables them
to charge a good advertising rate,
This energetic merchant is free
with his use Of space in both I1 u, these e
issue during the entire year that you
do not find The Big Furniture and
Rug Store represented with an adVer-
tisement.
As proof that there is great deal
of pulling power in the way OF adVer-
tisements are written, note the two
ads reproduced in Connection with TINS :
story. These ads were written by Mr.
SteWart's seventeen year old son.
The manufacturer of these rugs
offers a cash prize each month for
the best advertisement written by one
of their dealers. Both ads shown
here won. a prize for. this young lad,
For the larger one ne fetesVea.-
| in cash and for the smaller one, 80.
Seventy Per Cent Of Rug e. Customers
At least 70 per cent of this mer-
chants sales on this line OF rugs,
during the past year were on those
patterns, ranging in price from soy
to SIS. 1--WE account for this said
one of the statesmen, largely because
we show the better grade rugs hrst,
talk them constantly and the CUSTOM
between the. higher priced and the
Those persons who used to buy S25
and $50 rugs from this merchant are
now buying $50 and $s77o patterns. If
a woman CONES IN and asks to see a
rug -Sf ST about $50 value, the salesman
first shows her the $50. to $Io values
at the same time pointing out the e. al
vantages of the better rugs. Then
1he shows his customer the price rug
She asked to see in the beginning.
Invariably the prospect will begin TO
move backward toward the more ex,
pensive rugs, asking questions anu
commenting on them.
The salesman now has her interest,"
and attention on his better quaihiayt ~
he usually closes the sale before the
customer leaves the store.
One whole side wall OF the store Is
given over to the display or rugs.
They are hung from large arm RACKS cls !
which swing out from the wall. lne
better rugs are always placed on tlle
front racks so it will pc natuIai loa
the customers to see them first. AS
Won gradually move down the line
Won work into the less expensive
This merchant believes in carry, q
good big stock Of rags. IN TACT, ne
thinks that to sell most anything you M
must have enough of that partlculal
merchandise on display that the GUS
toner will be satisfied, ~,
Stewart depends solely on his aa 7,l
vertising and the co,.operatt1oh oa Oil: mi:
salesforce to sell fifty high grace
rurs in a wear. He does it in tow
a little less than 1000.
How Many Farm Tractors in Decatur
County and Who Have Them!
Mr.. NJ. c. Freestone, of northWes
of Leon, who is a government crol