New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-15
II, ARCHER WALL DOUGLAS

The time was when the designation
"a nation OF shopkeepers' was term
OF reproach to great commercla'
country. Nowadays a truer sentiment
~ eypressed by a most successful COM
mercial genius in his line, IS tha'
business is thing of ideas" Nor IS
this truth confined to those great fnan-
eial transactions which dazzle our I'M
agination By their farreaching import
There is story, but little suspected
is so simple a thing as merchandising
which tells how j. is in sober truth
the brief abstract and chronicle OF the
time. and hoV both analysis and vision
ere needed TO do it rightly and sue
ccssfully.
Caring and providing for the stock
on hand of any large concern with
nationwide interests seem at hrst
blush TO be monotonous and uninter-
esting labor rather than matter OF
great complexity, requiring both extern
siye thought and knowledge. All great
businesses are in this respect much
alike in their essential peculiarities'
but for the purpose Of our story the
matter OF hardware is typical. since II
serves apparently the most common
place demands Of utility, has a certain
stability Of use and tradition and yet
registers with unerring accuracy all
the manifold changes in every phase OF
life to-day.
The end and aim OF merchandising
save in comparatively rare instances OF
speculation. is TO have only enough
stock on hand to I'll orders with, so thus
to secure as great turnover as pos
sible. 70 have AZ few slow-selling ana
out of date goods as possible ana 10
keep in touch with popular demand by
Offering all the latest things that the
public calls for. To do this successfully
is 10 assume a passing and sufficient
knowledge Of practically everything oil
any moment that transpres and to be IN
constant understanding with the chang
inc currents Of public taste. Let some
instances Of corroborative detail give
verisimilitudc TO what may otherwise be
regarded as an gnconvincing statement
No one factor determines the use OF
any special line OF goods so much as
the trend Of thought among the people,
Traditions Dictates Are Strong
IN conservative sections the inhabi-
tants use certain articles, not that they
are best fitted for the purpose intended
for often they arc not, but because
their fathers used these same styles OF
articles. and consequently certain sa-
credness attaches 70 them. Now the
notably conservative sections Of the
country where tradition most prevails
are New England, especially the rural
districts. the Eastern and Central
Southern states and Philadelphia and
the Immediately surrounding country.
They still cling 10 certain English
pocket knives and files and to eye hoes
in the South. where there is but little
call for them elsewhere. Equally true
is that in the Philadelphia country and
in New England there arc still used
such antiouated things as shutter bolts.
loose joint butts and some other items
Of builders hardware which will not
he found in other sections. save in a
museum.
The problem always is in merchan-
dsing for sections Of this nature to
determine when the demand for such
articles will likely die out. as it has
done in other parts Of the nation.
Then. too. unless a personal study be
made ~ these particular sections, as 10
their general trend. one is liable to be
much misled BY surface conditions and
prcconceiyed ideas. The somewhat gen
eral belief among the unknowing is
that in the matter Of progrcssiveness
the Southern states will likely be the
last 10 alter their ways. But this is an
entirely erroneous conclusion. The
conservatism Of New England and Phil
adcphia is largely because Of the bur
den Of history. for in economic ways
il is often a handicap. despite the
great wealth and intelligence of these
sections. The story Of the coming OF
the South needs some vision to under
stand. because IL is the very wonder
ful and altogether unparalleled tale OF
uncxampleI progress in all mental ways
and habits. because Of crop diversified
ton. the passing OF the Texas cattle
tick and the mslsrial mosquito. 1t is
here that tho conception Of proper mer-
chandising for the Southern wants
crasps the true nature Of its future
function only by true understanding
OF how apparently insignificant hap
penings are Transforming every phase
of social and economic life throughout
the South, so that genuine progress in
that section is likely to be proportion
Etely greater than in any other part Of
the country.
Must Watch Changes Closely
Every business Of pith and moment
and wide, extended interests must nee