The Brinkley argus., 1920-01-29
Modern Merchandising
 and Advertising By FRED P. MANN, Devils Lake N. D. President Retail Merchants Association

creased the sales iD the basement about S700 more than the previous Sat urday.
 There are two classes of dealers, jewelry stores and hardware stores, who don't advertise. What wonder ful opportunity they are overlooking. They seem to think the small country store in the little town Is going to be a thing of the past on account of the mail order competition; also on ac- count of the automobile used in the country, which enables them to come to cities and get larger assortments.
 Cash and Carry System.
 There was a merchant who made quite a success in business. This one hadn't kept up-to-date with his store. We found the stock of merchandise and put in modern methods. put that store on a spot-cash basis. l be- lieve really the cash-and-carry and charge-for-delivery service is the right and modern and only way, so l put in the cash system. We would also pay farmers spot-cash for their produce. As soon as we had the store re arranged we got a stock in that coun- try store. The merchant from whom we bought didn't have $500 worth of fall merchandise ordered in Septem- Der, and was going out to buy some then. We put in about $10,000 worth and got 1t opened up, sent out a per sonal letter showing our policy and used a double-page spread in that pa per with a circulation of about TOO. There were two papers in the town. One was nonpartisan and the other an old stand pat" paper and they brought out this advertisement in both papers. That Saturday afternoon when the sale opened was in another city. My brother had charge of the store. I telephoned him: Flows It going?"
 Opens Branch Store.
 q wish you could be here to see it." he said. That's all right" l said, 'but are you doing any business?" He said: "Ohl think it will run about $3,000." The sale ran a little over $3,- the ladies, coats for $40, $150 and S165. Shoes at $15 and $16. All they wanted was the opportunity to buy. That is why these mail-order houses are doing business. There were cata- logues sent out there to do just that kind of stuff. Can you blame them for buying when these people have their catalogues right at their door? These people are making an appeal in high class way. We ran that sale and con- tinued it for a week, and it was very attractive.
 The next Saturday I said to my son: "We ought to make real good show ing since we started out so well You have a friend with a Curtiss airplane. Phone the boy and see if you can get him to fly up here with his plane" He came up. We put an ad in the paper about it-that we were going to give them ride in the plane and to come in. When the day came, the young man took those people out for $15 for 15 minutes and so much for each succeeding minute. I know one of the farmers stayed up 45 minutes after the allotted time.
 After we ran that sale, we wanted to clean that store. We replaced all the stock and put all the old stuff in the basement for a reconstruction sale. It was all out-of-date stuff. Some of the stock was in the store for 15 and 16 years. I remember there were some ladies' jackets with pulfed sleeves. We didn't try to deceive the people about it. We told them we were going to sell this stuff for S4 or $5, and the material could be worked out by the housewife, so that 1t could be used. Then Saturday we cleaned most of 1t up.
 I have asked a great many mer- chants gatherings: Have you ever written a personal appeal to the peo- pie in your territory, asking them for their patronage; that you would like to have them come in and see you?s It is once out of ten times that mer chant will ever say he has done that. Don't you believe you could get in touch with your people personality Through the medium of the press, you can get in touch with them right along, and the snappier you make your ad, the closer you are going to get In touch with them."
 There is a wonderful thing in serv- ice. We have one price to all. A child twelve years old could come into the store and buy exactly the same as an older person. We not only give service, but a protective guarantee with every sale. It Is wonderful thing, I think. I can remember one illustration. Some of these cheaper garments don't wear very well. A school teacher came into the store to buy a coat. She bought one, and came in later, saying: T had to pay $75 for this coat and see how 1t has xyor, afr nn vau think if ia giving