Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-02-27
Community Depends on Store
Keepers PrOgTassiVoneSs.
CLOSE TEAMWORK NEEDED
Cities and Towns Are Central Places
For the Distribution of Merchandise,
Therefore There Is a Close Relation
Between tho Retail Merchant and the
Success Of His City. r...I.-.,-
Why Is a city?

Because there must be central
place for the distribution of mercllan-
disc. says DR.. Frank Stockdale In the
Town Development Magazine.
Cities and towns were originally ere
ated for this purpose. and they have
never lost this primary function. even
with the addition of manufacturing in
terests.
This being So. 1t is easy 10 See the
close relationship between the retail
merchant and the success of his city
The people follow commerce. If the
merchant through his retail business
fails to provide that standard of bar,
ter and exchange the people demand,
his city will suffer as u city. / chal
lenge any one TO point to II city that is
known us live city that does not have
alert, progressive and aggressive
merchants. BY the same token yoa
Will find the dead, declining city the
home of merchants who are dead TO
their opportunities and to the posi-
bilities Of retail merchandising
Every dollar that goes across the
counter of Il store puts 80 cents into
circulation. This money goes to pay
salespeople, landlords, bankers, deliv-
cry men, insurance, taxes and every
other kind of contribution toward the
upbuilding of the local community. if
those 80 cents are being put into circu-
lation infrequently that community as
whole willsfe the lack of those
things which 90 to make it desirable
place in which TO live and work.
The Development of his city is in
large measure directly up TO the retail
merchant. In the degree In which he
develops or fails to develop those things
which make for good merchandising
his city viii be developed or retarded.
In saying this l do not wish to add
anything more to the already heavy
burdens tile retail merchant now car.
rles, but they are facts Of existence
and progress In our city life which
must be faced
This is not criticism of retail mer.
chants either individually OF collective
~. They are not wholly responsible
for the evolution in business that has
taken place In this country in the last
ten years. They cannot be wholly
blamed for the fact that their competi-
ton has shifted from the fellow across
the street to the department stores of
the larger cities and the mail order
concerns Of national scope. Improved
transportation and means of communi-
cation have brought these things about.
aud the average retail merchant finds
himself facing condition for which
he is i'll prepared. He finds the condi-
tons of merchandising changed almost
overnight, while he and his store re-
main the same. But he cannot shirls
the responsibility that affects him di-
rectly and every member of his com
munity indirectly. This Is the respon-
sibility of keeping at home the trade
which Is drifting away, carrying with
it in its drift the people who make his
city and all that city stands for.
The situation, however. is not hope
less. The retail merchant is awaken
ing to his problems and is finding the
method Of solving them. Just now he
is pausing long enough to analyze the
whole problem which confronts him.
The retail merchant has at last real
lied the vital and fundamental fact
that all the competition that has been
and is causing him worry is competi-
ton that uses that modern weapon
advertising.
The retailer has taken stock of him
self In measure, and he finds that
the only competition that has ever real
ly disturbed him and his community
comes from the merchants who advcr-
tise. Today he also realizes that adj
vcrtislng is not merely a matter OF
space. He must use space. but he~
must use that space to say something
really worth while. And to say some
thing that Is really worth While he
must do something that is really worth
while. Stripped Of verbiage, the whole
proposition comes back to one Of COM