Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-04-07
GRAHAM CO.
BIG cONf lRN
Deeorah Store One Of q hain Of
Twsaty-Five storcs u 8 Their
Direct Coatroi IN Is .aad
Missouri
OPENING UP MANY
MORE sToRJ THIS YEAR
Chain Consists Of Dopartment Stores
Handling Merchandise Bought
in Quantities by Ottumwa
Plant.

IA xh<snt1taCS Uy> OVUuMW6
Plant.
Mr.. c. E. Barnhart, manager OF
Graham's big department store in
Decorah. was in Ottumwa last week
attending four days conference OF
the various stores owned by the
Graham Stores Company. The Ot-
tumwa Daily Courier has the fol-
lowing to say Of the meeting:
With twenty-five chain stores under
their direct control, an interest in
half dozen others, and leases Sc
cured for the establishment of sever
al more, the Graham Stores company,
with headquarters and general offic-
IS in this city, is rapidly forging
ahead in the mercantile world and
ranks high with the other large
business concerns with their main
plant or headquarters in Ottumwa.
The company owns twenty-five
chain stores in Iowa and Missouri,
most of them being in county seat
towns. At least half dozen other
stores in the two states are connect
ed with the company, while several
more will be established in a short
time. In addition to this, the local
concern operates in connection with
a large and well known system OF
chain stores, which makes from As
to so stores included in the chain
for which the local company buys
and directs sales.
G. L. Graham Is president of the
company. The chdin consists OF de-
partment stores handling merchan-
disc which is bought in large guam
titles by the Ottumwa plant and ship
ped direct to each store, thus elm
mating the jobber from the transac-
tion. According to ofilcials of the con-
cern, this method OF merchandising
has two advantages in that 1t permits
cheaper buying from the manufactur-
er and establishes each store on a
scientific basis.
The company has formulated a
complete system for expansion and
when this is worked out 1t will not
only care for each department of the
various stores on a systematic basis
but will also provide for extending
the business Of the company and en-
larging the operations.
In order to further the business oi
each store and build up the spirit OF
cooperation on which the success oi
the chain of stores depends, the man.
ayers of twenty of the Graham stores
met in conference in Ottumwa last
week to discuss their problems and
to receive instructions in the mana
cement Of their individual concerns
While the concern has held similar
conferences in the pest, It is the plan
to hold them every few months az
educational campaigns for the store
managers.
The oficials Of the concern. the
atore managers present for the con.
ference, and seveal invited Ottum.
vans. were guests Of the concern al
bahQnet last evening at the Hotel
Ottumwa.
Following dinner. Wallace B.
Graham. vice-president Of the com.
pany, presented to the managers q
chart showing the scientific plan
worked out for the control Of the
stores and the expansion Of the con,
Germs business.
=. Mr.. Graham explained the methods
by which the company expects ia
place each DEPARTMENT on a scientific
basis, thus reducing to q minimum
the need Of guesswork on the part oi
store managers and standardizins
all selling methods, advertising and
business transactions Of each store.
DR.. Stanley L. Krebs Of New York
City, president OF the Institute OF
Mercantile Art of that city and whose
addresses to the admen of Iowa at
the stets convention held In Ottum-
wa last TALL. created a deep impress
sion, addressed the conference on the
subject. "Plans Plus Push"
DR.. Krebs took up the advantages
to be derived from plan and discus
sed his subject thoroughly. not only
from theoretical and psycAological
standpoiuts but. also from the rrac-
ticai stapdpoint. He emphasized the
need of ! business soapsR1 and -os -
diytdnals soesliS(pG th3( o(lotks On
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