The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-08-07

4incyric,c accorded Charles ~ Wheeler. the Trbuncs
Scldgc is al american ,rhO introduced the TaMkec
eess he il nc We,rhont ,cAo kept ygAt on adyertis
TORS taAcfed aud failed. Read arh0t Mr.. SelfrdgG
this dycdinh irastinne merchant to u0ur ellen
"A Reprint from the Chicago Tribune
On Aug, 5, 1914, the day after war was de
clared, increased our advertising space. From
that day have been buying all the advertising
space available. would do more advertising
today if could get the space.
I'VE are limited only by the limitations 81
the newspapers We are taking right now ev.
cry inch they will give us and at rates that
would make us in the States turn somersauts
and fall over backwards.
Il am paying at the rate of 81 per agate
line for display space right now. II will take
more space if they will give it to me and at
that rate. l probably will pay more before the
war is oven But will take all they will give,
The first four months Of this year have been
the biggest four months in our history. This
growth has come because we have forced it. At
the beginning of this year we were the six
teenth largest house Of the kind in the world.
At the end Of this year we will be the sixth.
Within two years after the new store build
ing is completed we will beifrst. s
III Ads Skater Traditions
A big factors very big factorin this
record has been and will continue to be news
paper advertising. We never could have broken
through these traditions over here without it.
We had to use all we could to break down preju-
dices. 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 columns, and they be-
lieve in as, trust us, respond to that advertis-
ing quickly and continue to be our customers
in all kinds of weather. The large business
enterprise that is not going the limit in adver-
Using just now is making huge mistake.
Now, more than at any other time. it is
necessary to push the display advertising. If
retrenchments appear necessary they should be
made in every other department but the pub
lefty one--the newspaper advertising one.
These prices they are soaking us now for space
are simply awful but I'll take more .space if
they will give it to me-
American Store in London
The foregoing statement was made BY Harry
Gordon Sefridge dropped in lat the Oxford
street store the other day to have q chat on
business and the effect the war was having on
great mercantile establishments Of this char
acter. People here refer TO the Selfridge store
as the miracle store" and the brilliant bust
ness romance s
The store has had a truly brilliant career.
Mr.. Selfridge achieved what all his friends and
all London told him mpressively was impossi-
BILE the establishment in the heart jof London's
great drapery district Of q typical American
department store of huge size They told him
and proved it to him to their satisfaction
that he would lose every dollar he intended
putting into it. They endeavored BY every kind
Of discussion to have him see the light and
return to America before he had to borrow the
price Of 4 steerage ticket.
Advertising Is Secret
Today they still marvel. They can't under
stand it. Perhaps if Mr.. Selfridge were to
answer why he fooled everybody and made him
self the merchant prince Of London in a few
years, and had to compress his answer into one
word, he might truthfully reply: y.
advertising is
3 That IS, It was the judicious and intelligent
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. Innova-
tons, particularly from America made no ap-
peal Then he turned on London searchlight
t Of newspaper advertising that stands in the rec
. ord one of the most expensive and brilliant
pages in mercantile publicity.
Invests Huge Sums
Is He began spending money as if he had the
Bank Of England back Of him. He realized that
the London populace might not gasp in won
derment at q small advert isement extolling the
merits Of silk stocking. He realized that he
had.t do something on big scale, and some
thing, above all else, that would compel atten-
ton. s.
He knew that Londoners have weakness for
art. The average Londoner will waste half his
time going down the Strand or improve it.