Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-14
HAMPER ADVOCATES
TRADE OPERATION

CINCINNATI, Ohio, May 12.-Great-
er cooperation between the whole
sale and retail grocers of the coun-
try was advocated here today by F.
E. Hamper, of Atlanta, Ca, vice
president of the National Retail
Grocers' association, before the an
nual meeting of the Southern Whole
sale Grocers' association.
81 am sure there ought to be the
greatest cooperation between the
wholesaler and the retailer" said Mr..
Hamper. 81 am frank in stating that
L believe our destinies are so close
ly bound together that we cannot
adopt any other plan other than to
work hand in hand.
Immediately upon the declaration
Of war, business in America was
stagnated for time. Shortly after
that, we all underwent most fran
tic and supposedly a most prosperous
period. Most of us were so engross-
ed in the petty details of our affairs
that we grew careless and neglect
full of the fundamental ideas sur
rounding our individual business, and
as a result, during the past year of
depression we have been undergoing
some new experiences and reaping
the fruits of discord created during
the extravagant period. AS a conse-
quence, most firms find that their
individual business is very much dis
organized.
1.-THE retailers have been very much
awed during the past four or five
years, with the lavishness which
manufacturers and jobbers would adj
vertise their goods to the consumer
without giving to our mind careful
enough consideration to the details of
how these goods would be sold, and
to the training of these retail mer-
chants who are the people who ulti-
mately come into contact with the
consumer and who actually sell the
goods. 1t is fundamental principle
of merchandising that in order to
sell any one any article the
persons who will sell the goods to
the consumer must first be sold
the goods themselves.
1--WE contend that your efforts as
jobbers are not completed until your
statesmen have convinced the individ-
ual retail grocer, and had sold him
thoroughly on your article. Then it
is up to the retail grocer to carry
this same thought and to convince
the customer.
Frequently, it happens that the
retailer. within one to two days has
talked with as many as from six to
eight jobbers regarding similar goods
that he ought to sell and as re-
suit, the average retailer is left in
a state of bewilderment; he does not
know what goods to present; does not
know how to present these goods, and
is really SO confused that in the end
he will make up his mind that each
Individual jobber has nothing at
heart except his own personal inter-
est in selling as many of his own
a wonder that of the 100000 or more
retail grocers now in the United
States so to 95 per cent of them
fail?
There is a vast opportunity and
we might even say responsibility
duct an educational campaign among
themselves, which will extend into
the retail grocery business.
"Personaly, 1 have been wonder
ing if this organization of jobbers
and wholesalers would not initiate
eventually extend, under your direc-
ton, to every state and to every
city and town in the United States
which would have for it's first OBJ
ject the PRONUNCIATION of proper
means and methods of conducting in
dependent retail grocery stores.
'Tf the independent retail grocer
understood his business thoroughly,
was fully competent, ran clean and
up-to-date store, followed the market
up or down, in other words, used
the same intelligence, the same per
sistence, and the same up-to-date
merchandising methods as the more
modern stores, there would be no
need of the chain store. The chain
store, as a rule, in most instances
successful mainly from the fact
that they are running better store
than the average corner grocery
store.
'It is necessary, though, that you
take the. initiative, that you to a
large extent do the planning, clear
thinking and developing. A thou
sand men we'll trained, organized, are
better than 10000 unorganized."