The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-15

Topeka
Topeka Kan.-the center of the
United States-the headquarters of the
AtchisoH, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad
the capital of one of the greatest
agricultural districts in the world
the center of an intensive campaign of
The w. Z. Culver Hardware Co., that
brought a 135 per cent increase for
July, 1921. over July, 1920. How is It
done? Going after it!
Like practically all other hardware
firms July was usbered in with price
reductions in practically every line of
merchandise a hardware store han
dles=saYs, tools, building hardware.
stoves, washing machines, galvanized
ware, enameled ware, aluminium ware
and practically every other line in
hardware and houseware. But most
dealers failed to take advantage OF
these reductions. They knew the drops
We're coming but did not~want to meet
them Immediately. They thought that
they could sell their stocks at the old
prices and not place the new oGes into
effect until new stock was bought. The
result was that the hardware mer-
chants have been blamed for the
dearth in building on account of the
high prices in building hardware. The
old reliable hardware firms. continued
to maintain old prices and business
One of the keynotes in successful
merchandising today is taking imme-
date advantage of the declining mar
kets and letting the buying public
know at once when drops are an
hounced by the various manufacturers.
such a policy does two things of i'm
portance, % retains the faith of the
puzzle in the firm that passes the de-
clihes Immediately 20 turns the old
stock at once so that it can be replaced
at the new prices. In other words
when a nationally known and priced
articles declines let the people Know
In this way you not only get a jump
on the other merchants, but you
stimulate buying for all the merchants.
Dropping With the Market.
With such a policy being pursued
The w. E. Culver Hardware Co. took
immediate advantage of all drops, sent
buyers into the markets to buy up job
lots on which the jbbbers were loaded,
bought daily necessities at rock bot
tom prices and proceeded to celebrate
its S6th Anniversary with a sale of
these commodities at prices lower than
they had been since 1915. The COM
binaton of the seth Anniversary cele-
hratibn and the outspoken notices of
dcclif1es in the various commodities,
kept the clerks of the store busy from
opC uinS hour until closing time To
DO this required an exploitation of ad-
arouse interest and keep the interest
Lubblihg for the two weeks the sale
progressed.
The campaign laid out and followed
turnout the sale did create interest
and held it-more than that-it Gre
atc1 new business and increased old
business. The following campaign was
U-cd: The newspapers were given adj
Vince news on the drops that were
being announced by the leading manu-
f1cturors. For week before the sale
the daily papers carried news stories
on the various declines in the hard
ware trade. This publicity started the
toV1 talking about the W. E. Culver
Hardware CO. and beginning to Won
Cor what that firm would do next.
accordingly on July II, the evening
T cWspaper carried practically full
T0'ye advertisement of the W. f. Gull
Vcr Hardware Co. This was followed
up IN the morning paper by a SINH
IL 81.
,1-; opening ad carried the an
n cement of the stores celebration
o. It's seth Anniversary and in the top
c. -cr of the paSe was run the new
prices ard comparative Gid prices of
standard appliances. Beneath this
wc-e twelve. boxes" one for each day