The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-02-13

nearly every town Of any size has one
or more Of these institutions. These
stores have been started in some in
stances in towns Of only few hun
dred inhabitants, and by their aggres-
sive methods, extensive advertising,
and wonderful service, built up very
large volume of business, but these
are exceptions rather than the rule.
The business that is done by some
of the larger institutions run into fig
ures that are astounding. | have
never visited one Of the large de-
partment stores in the cities, but
what | have wondered at what their
volume of business amounted to-.
Naturally these figures are hard to
get, and do not vouch for the cor
rectness of the following figures, but
they are probably far from the truth.
In recent business publication,
| found the following figures: In
New York City there are numerous
Department Stores who have annual
sales in excess of S25,OOO,OOO wear.
One store in Philadelphia sold over
$50, 100000 worth Of merchandise and
as near as can be found out, the sales
of the largest department store in
Chicago last year, were in excess of
$40. 900, 900.
One gets some idea of the magni-
tude of an institution of this kind
when one stops to consider that they
turn out over S3,000,0OO worth of
merchandise on an average every
! month.
We shall now turn and consider
briefly why the department store has
taken such position in the distribu.
! ton of merchandise. The wonderful
success of these stores must have
some basic reasons for their rapid
progress and development.
The department store has come into
| existence in response to an economic
need. 1t has succeeded and has con-
tinued to hold it's place, and to gain
ground, because it has occupied a GER
tain point of advantage in the dis
tribution of merchandise.
The characteristic thing about
these stores, as mentioned before, is
many departments or sections under
one roof. The smaller stores of this
character have from ten to twenty
sections or departments, and the larg-
est are said to have as many as $50.
One of the great features, that has
brought success to the Department
stores, are the Especial Conveniences"
offered to all shoppers whether they
buy or not. Right here it might be
opportune to mention that the one
feature that has been such help to
| bring these stores into prominence,
threatens to be a menace to the fut-
ure of these stores as distributors
Of merchandise.
You have undoubtedly wondered
when you have visited one of the
larger Department Stores in the cities
at the wonderful Service YOU will
find there.
The department store, especially
the modern store, is a regular center,
a sort Of club and amusement place
for women in particular. Here the
women arrange to meet their friends,
have their afternoon tea, lounge
around and gossip in the wonderful
rest rooms, attend to their correspon-
dence in the writing rooms, buy their
stamps and mail their letters in the
branch post office operated in the
store, in fact there are no end of
| conveniences offered the public
One ordinarily finds in these mod
| ern stores, Rest rooms, Silence rooms
for nerve tired shoppers, reading and
writing rooms, restaurants, informa-
ton bureaus, post offices, telephone
| booths, ETC., for the unrestricted use
, OF all. In some stores lectures, dem
constructions, musical programs, NOV
ing picture shows, and even plays are
given in the stores. Some depart
ment stores conduct banking depart
ments accepting the deposits of Gus
toners and employees and paying in
! terest on them. Hair dressing and
manicure parlors, and childrens bar
| Der shops are regular adjuncts of the
| larger stores in the cities. Play rooms
for children lost and found depart
ments, and a great many more feat
lures almost too numerous to men
ton.
Now most of these are free. and
! where direct expenses are involved, :
the charges made are usually only
! sufficient to cover expenses. These
services are given however, to attract
people to the store.
Now all these things l have men
toned of course, are not found in all
stores, but at least a few are common
to most stores that can be called de-
partment stores. And as the store
grows and develops you will find that
these features are always given much
consideration, and the store is plan
ming on adding this and that service
from time to time as it develops.
This service, while it has and is
bringing the department stores
great deal Of custom, has put these
stores in a peculiar position. Com
petition forces them to add more and
more Of it, till it seems there is no