Imperial Valley press., 1920-09-09

the all-cOnSuming forest or prairie tires
are sweeping toward them their only
hope of safety lies in the 'back-fire."
BY iindling and carefully controlling
u fire of their own they force the big
ger fire to burn itself out, finding no
further fuel on which to feed.
The merchants of the small cities
and towns are learning that in waging
their fight for existence they must
adopt the tactics of the meN of the
West. The great mail order houses
OF the cities are the consuming flames
which threaten to wipe out the retail
merchants of the small towns unless
the latter, realizing their danger, take
steps to remove the menace. The re-
tail merchants, as whole, are begin
ding to realize that they must fight
fire with fire and that to save them
selves they must'build back fire.
Advertising is the weapon with
which the mail order houses conduct
their warfare on the retail merchants
of the small cities and towns. The
mail order houses do their advertising
through their own catalogues and
through certain publications. which are
known as mail order advertising me-
liups. a big mail order house spends
hundreds of thousands of dollars mere
Iy on the preparation and publication
Of its bulky catalogues.
Business Built Upon Advertising.
The catalogue houses also spend
thousands upon thousands of dollars
in advertising in the mail order publi-
cations which look for their circula
ton to the people of the small towns
and the rural districts. Advertising in
some of these mediums costs as much
as from $40 TO $50 for single inch,
set the mail order houses find ii profit
able to pay these high rates. Their
business is built upon advertising and
if they were denied the use of the
mails for their advertising for single
month their business would be de-
stroyed.
In advertising, the local merchants
lind the only weapon with which they
can beat the mail order houses at their
own game. This does not mean neceS-
sarily, only newspaper advertising. al
though that is the big gun in the bat
terry employed by the successful lner-
chant in his battle for trade. Adver-
Using is 4 big word and it covers . big
field. There is no longer TO be found
the man VINO does not believe in ad-
vertisinG. Every merchant believes III
advertising of some sorr. The placing
of a display in q show window i adj
yertislng. The only difference between
that kind OF advertising and aGNertis-
ing in / newspaper is that where the
iliiili!adrGds. Attractive window displays
are. Of course. an important adjunct o.
any retail store. They serve their pur-
bose but this purpose IS only to attract
The attention OF those who may be
passing by the store. There are other
forms of advertising. such us persona!
solicitation, but printed matter must
always continue TO be the CHEF reil-
ance OF merchants in attracting Gus
toners to their stores.
Advertising Begets Confidence.
The buying public has learned that
the store which takes the people inc
lis confidence through its advertising
is the one in which it may expect tC
get the best bargains and the most sat
isfactory treatment. 1t knows that tl'
store which advertises consistently aut
regularly has the best and most up-to
date stocks because this store sells IT
goods more rapidly than the. oAe which
does not advertise and, therefore, /
not forced to Gary over Old stock froA
! one season 10 another. Ihe puhli
/ knows that the store which advertise
/ can place lower prices on its goods De
cause it turns over its stock oltehe
than the store which does not adyei
Use and therefore does not have It
/ caDital tied up in slow-moving inei
chandise.
The mali order house does not &c
ifs business by merely letting the pu'
lie know that it has dry goods or mare
! ware or groceries or some other con
i. modify to sell. 1t creates dem2n
for It's goods by placing in its catalogu
attractive pictures anu uTt"H'N Wv
soriptions of the articles which it IA
70 sell. The lure of the mail erd,
catalogue lies in the fact that III
! merits. or alleged merits, Of the ne
= chandlse offered are placed before III
prospective purchaser in the mo-
. graphic manner. The local retail me
5 chant has the same opportunity to
5 this that the mail order house has ri
= can DO it much more effectively tha
the mail order"house can. The reta
merchant can talk 10 the people OF b
I community through his home newsp
per and that Is something which Il
mail order houses as q rule cannot d
for the local newspapers through
sense of loyalty TO their commuhiti
and their home merchants will not a
cent the advertising WITH which Il
mail order houses would food them
they had the opportunity.
t. PHONE 70-J
OFFICE SUPPLY COMPANY
StatiOners
- Our prices less than Los Angeles
Ask Us why