Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-07
RICHMOND JOBBERs IN
DRY GOODS AND NOTIONS
Seven WHOLESALE Houses OF This
City Made Record Sales Last Year
In Occupied Territory.
WIDE AWAKE MEN on ROAD
Goods Sold in Nine States to the
Amount OF More Than Six Million
Dollars-Splcndid Quito ok for
This Year,

Tho wholesale houses OF Richmond
Increased their business last year.
This IS true without exception. and il
he exact figures could be gotten it
would probably be shown that no
branch Of tho jobbinS trade made a
lsrSer increase. according to capital
invested aud the number of houses in
the rxce, than that Of dry goods and
notions.
The dry goods and notion men have
made no effort to enlarge their terri
tory. They have been satisfied TO cover
ci:ht or nine Southern States. and not
Try TO invade the North or West ter
rito,y. hut they have tried TO increase
their sales in the territory already oc-
cupicd. and 10 cover that territory
moro closely. This they have succeed
Cd in doing TO a degree that is pleas
inc TO note.
There arc III Richmond seven houses
engaged in wholcsalinS dry goods and
notions. Three Of these are engaged
strictly in notions and four deal in
both dry goods and notions. The COM
bined capital OF these seven houses is
Sl,3jo.00o. and their sales IN 1917
amounted to between $4,000. 900 and
$1,000. 900, probably nearer tho first
figure than the last.
This is a large increase over tho
business of any former year. and
without exception, the heads Of these
concerns declare thu, the increase
would have been sun larger but for
the difficulty they have experienced
since war times in getting the good.
from the manufacturers. Every man in
the list can count UP large sales he
missed because Of inability to get his
rlor mn IN ~ no a
However. they are not at all greedy.
aud All Of them are well satisfied with
the Increased volume of business. and
all have started the new year with the
expectation of making another record
year III distributing dry goods and no.
t!ons throughout the eight or nine
good Southern States which comprise
their territory.
Tho reasons for the Increased bust
ness Of last year are easy enough TO
ind. In the first place tho Richmond
dry goods jotbcrs arc hustlcrs. They
snow their business and they know tho
advantages Of their location. and they
work them FOR all they arc worth. IL
tho second place the people generally
Of the territory they sell dry goods aud
notions III nave had TWO OF three tat
ycars. Crops have been good, prices
for tho products Of the land have been
satisfactory, the industries scattered
Fl - 49, '"' '''#i
prosperous, and the common people
nave had money TO spend. and the or
'lerS coming in from the retailers and
country merchants OF all Of these
southern States were larger last year
than the previous year or any previous
YEAR of the last decade.
Tho seven Richmond houses under
consideration keep rs wide awake and
hustlinE travelling men on the road,
men who know how TO find trade and
meet it, demands. They talk Greater
Richmond wherever they go. and mel
dcntally do a kind OF boosting that
docs the old town good IN ways other
shan making IL d leader among the dry
goods distributing. towns OF country.
In attractivcncss and equipment. the
liichuiond Wholesale dry goods and no.
tion houses viii comparc fsNorabiy
with those OF any city III tho United
States. They are looking forward 10
another big years business.