Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-09-06

(L0ndon CorrespOnaent of The en-

l increased our advertising space.
From that day I have been buying all
the advertising space available. ]
would do more advertising today II I
could get the space.
I'VE are limited only by the liml-
tations OF the newspapers. We are
taking right o every inch they will
give US N at rates that would make
us IN the States turn somersaults and
fall over backwards.
II am paying at the rate of 81 per
agate line for display space right
now. l will take more space IL they
Will give 1t to me-and at that rate.
I probably will a more before he
war is over. But I will take all they
will give.
The first foul months of this year
have been the biggest four months in
our history. This growth has come be-
cause we have forced it. At the be-
ginning of this year we were the six
iteenth largest house of the kind in
we will be the sixth. Within two
years after the new store building is
completed we will be first.
Ads Skater Traditions.
"A big 1acJoi-a very dig factor
in this record has been and will con-
tinue to be newspaper advertising. We
never could have broker through these
traditions over here without it. We
had to use all we could to break down
prejudices. We made people stop, look
and listen. Then the store itself did
the rest.
We now talk to millions of people
every day through our advertising col
umns, and they believe in us, trust US,
respond to that advertising quickly
and continue to be our customers in
all kinds Of weather. The large bust
ness enterprise that is not going the
limit in advertising just now is max
ing a huge mistake.
Now, more tina at any other time.
1t is necessary to push the display ad-
vertising.- II retrenchments appear
necessary they should be made in
every other department but the pub
licity one-the newspaper advertising
one. These prices they are soaking
us now for a are simply awful
but I'll take more space if they will
give it to me-"
American Store i'm London.
The foregoing statement was made
by Harry Gordon Selfridge. 1 dropped
in at the Oxford street store the other
day to have q chat OF business and the
effect the war was having on great
mercantile establishments of this char
acter. People here refer to the Self
ridge store as the miracle store and
| the DTlllldnL business
The store a had a truly brilliant
career. Mr.. Selfridge achieved what
all his friends n all London toldhim
impressively was impossible-the es-
t~ablishing in the heart of London's
great drapery district of q typical
American department store of huge
size. They told him-and proved it t ,
Kim to their satisfaction-that he
would lose every dollar he intended
-.wA4s~~ 49, nL~ -
every kind of discussion to have him
see the light and return to America be-
fore he had to borrow the price of
a Storage ticket.
Advertising Is Secret.
Today they still marvel. They can't
UNDERSTANDABLE Psrhaps If Mr.. Self
ridge were to s.nodr why-he-fooled
everybody and made himself the mer-
chant prince of London in a few
years, and had to compress his an
swer into n word, he might truth
fully reply:
Advertising"
That is, 1t was the judicious and in
telligent publicity that brought the
store to the people of London. His
greatest task was to- get in touch with
the purchasing public. He found a
stone wall of tradition opposing him.
Innovations, particularly from Amer
! iCds h1d hO appeal 1hCn ne luIutu
on London a searchlight of newspa-
per advertising that stands in the rec
ord one of the most expensive and
brilliant pages in mercantile publicity.
Invests Huge Sums.
He began spending money as IL he
had the Bank of England back of him.
He realized that the London populace
might not gasp in wonderment at a
small advertisement extolling the mer-
| IL nf a cilL ufnCEfnn Hn raaIfzaI
that he had to do something on a big
scale, and something. above all else
that would compel attention.
He knew that Londoners have a
weakness for art. The average Lon
doner will waste half his time going
down the Strand-or improve it-stop-
ping to view the crayons and water
colors and sketches in the shop win
dows. A beautiful picture, an artistic
audience any time in old London
town. So Selfridge started out to do
something big in the artistic line.
He ascertained the names of the
leading black and white artists of the
English capital. He got in touch with
the foremost artists of the day-the
men who made. Punch, and the Ora
phic and the Illustrated News. and
other great illustrated periodicals IA
nous the world over He got in touch
with other artists. Then he set them
to turning out the finest drawings they
were capable of.
London fell. London, though not
in a hurry about 1t, casually dropped
around Oxford way II that happened
to be between any two points to be
visited that day. Many, no doubt,
came to scoff, but remained-to pay!
Like wild turkeys following a trail OF
corn to a trap, they were shy and
walked around a good bit before VEN
turing in.
But once they ventured in, the old
American department store system
scored-deiivering the goods. dollar
for dollar; quality service; courteous
treatment; making every word good:
every line OF the advertisement a SOL
emn contract between the store and
the purchaser: r~efunding with q smile
when Il was requested; no trouble TO
show goods; whether purchasing or
not. as welcome as the sunshine: a
cordial welcome on every foot of the
floor space; a come again smile that
was on the square and not a lure; the
building up OF that big family spirit
of mutual h~elpfulness, and under
standing. and sympathy; and tho
quality OF the wares that spoke most
eloquently in service.
Buyers Crowd Store.
Today the drawings Of the artists
who made London stop and look at
the Selfridge ads are shown in the
art stores. Copies are sent to all quar-
tara Of the world. And after c0nN-