The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1918-07-25

large department store In London
conducted along American lines, is
reprinted from a recent issue of the
Tribune.
London.-"On August 5, 1914, the
day after war was declared, l in
creased our advertising space. From
that day l have been buying all the
advertising space available. l would
do more advertising today if l could
get the space.
I'VE are limited only by the limi-
tations of the newspapers. We are
taking right now every inch they will
give us and at rates that would make
US in the States turn sumersaults.aad
fall over backwards.
'T am paying at the rate of 81 per
agate line for display space right
now. l will take more space if they
will give it to me-and at that rate.
| probably will pay more before the
war is over. But l 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 sixteenth largest house of the
kind in the world. At the end OF
this year we will be the sixth. With
in two years after the new store
building is completed we will be first
Ads Shatter Traditions.
"a big factor-a very big factor
in this record has been and will con
tinue to be newspaper advertising
We never could have broken 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.
1--WE now talk to millions of
people every day through our adver-
tising columns, and they believe in
US, trust us, respond to that adver-
tising quickly and continue to be our
customers in all kinds of weather,
The large business enterprise that is
not going the limit in advertising
just now is making huge mistake.
"Now, more than at any other
time, it is necessary to push the dis
play advertising. If retrenchments
appear necessary they should be made
in every other department but the
publicity one-the newspaper adver-
tising 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 Selfridge. | drop
ped in at the Oxford street store the
other day to have chat on business
and the effect the war was having on
great merchantile establishments Of
this character. People here refer to
the Selfridge store as the miracle
store" and the brilliant business
romance"
The store has had truly brilliant
career. Mr.. Selfridge achieved what
all his friends and all London told
him impressively was impossible
the establishing in the heart of Lon
don's great drapery district of a
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 dis
suasion to have him see the light and
return to America before he had to
borrow the price of steerage ticket.
Advertising Is Secret.
Today they still marvel They
can't understand it. Perhaps if Mr..
Selfridge were to answer why he
fooled everybody and made himself
the merchant prince of London in a
few years, and had to compress his
answer into one word, he might
truthfully reply:
Advertising
That is, it was the judicous 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. Innovations, particularly from
America, made no appeal. Then he
turned on London a searchlight of
newspaper advertising that stands in
the record one of the most expensive
and brilliant pages in merchantile
publicity.
Invests Huge Sums.
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 wonder
ment at the small advertisement ex-
tolling the merits of a silk stocking.
HE realized that he had to do some