Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-09-26
MONDAY MORNING TALKS
A SERIES BY
George c. Clarke, Manager,
Augusta Chamber Of Commerce
10. COMPETITION.

~.
Everyone is familiar with the ex- |!
preston Competition is the life Of !
trade" but this refers only to fair !
competition. Unfair competition un-
dermines trade for it establishes false
standards of values destroys friend
ships, and is ruinous to good will. If
based on jealousy competition is all
of this, but if based on efficiency of
administration, economy of manage
ment and study of modern methods IF
merchandising it leads to profits and
success.
There are three different types of
competition, the competition of price,
the competition of quality. and the
competition of service Experience
has shown that customers are seeking
primarily the lowest price hut that
sooner or later they come to realize
that one gets just about what he pays
for and nothing else. For this reason
we find substantial stores scorning
price cutting tactics, preferrng to give
quality and service that will result in
| satisfaction to the customer and a
| reputation Tor reliability to the con-
/ Germ.
A lower price usually moan second
quality merchandise. poor workman
shop or poor after service Defective
| goods, goods out of style, shopworn
articles. bankrupt stocks, limitations,
discarded war materials and similar
articles are naturally lower in price.
| but in all these cases let US apply tho
lt gal warning, "caveat emptor" (let
the buyer beware). For instance.
there is the matter of automobile tires
as case in point If fellow is driv-
ing about the city, never far from gar.
age service and stores, he may feel
| safe in buying doubtful tires at low
prices but if. he ever uses his car
for pleasure jaunts, emergency calls
closely figured appointments and sucn
matters he cannot afford to risk pre-
n ature blowouts and the spelling If
his good time by using poor tires BY
the innate cussedness of inanimate oh
jccts tire trouble seldom visits us 1T
ooportune times but usually comes
when time is precious or when we are
cut yonder in some lonely spot with
night falling fast. Low price is a
| fairly sure guarantee of poor quality.
You can buy canned peaches. to use
different illustration, at almost as
many different prices as there are
stores and there are about the same
lumber of varieties and qualities
There is one type packed in water
that sells for almost nothing, another
gradc packed in light syrup and CON
tanning the small and sometimes I'M
derripe fruit and there is the luscious
par fruit dripping with heavy syrup
that would tempt the palate of an en-
peror. Is it fair to place these varie-
ties in competition one with the other?
Or is it fair to judge the dealer by his
price with so great a range of quail
ity?
The buying public appreciates clean
! and attractive stores, intelligent and
courteous clerks, well heated and
roomy selling floors, plenty of varie-
ty, up-to-date methods. the privilege
of credit, good wrapping, prompt de-
livery, and the Willingness of the mer-
chant to back up his goods. These are
| all included in the competition of
service. 1t is unfair to compare the
prices paid in crowded stores with
| take-it-or-leave-it methods and cash
and-carry and no-exchange plans with
the prices of stores of the above class
| 1t is a matter Of cost to carry a va
riety and yet in most lines it is the
| variety carried that makes possible
the exact meeting of your require
| ments. We must not forget that
there is an infinite variety in tastes
and compilations.
| And now we come to the point of
! the whole matter. Augusta is in COM
petition with other centers and the
success of this city as a retail trade
center depends on the ability of our
merchants to meet this competition.
AS long as our people have faith in the
i reliability of our merchants and suf-
| fcient loyalty to seek to satisfy their
wants here first. our stores will be
prosperous and our city will thrive.
To be perfectly fair we must ask our
selves the following questions: l.
Does the price I am paying represent
additional service over and above what