The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-10
THE CHAIN STORE SYSTEM

tenn of retailing automobile tires,
tubes, tire accessories and fabric prod
ucts was explained yesterday by Lacy
Ferguson, manager of the Topeka
branch of the Stephens Tire Stores
conpany's chain of retail tire stores
that are the factory outlet of the A.
J. Stephens Rubber company, Kansas
City.
THE chain store system. first af all,
makes for economical handling of
merchandise and sales,'' said Ferguson,
with a resultant saving that, under
our system, is handed over to the con-
sumner, or user, in the form of lower
priced products In other words, he
pays only one small profit over manu-
featuring cost when he buys stephens
products thru Stephens stores, F'ergu-
son added.
1.-The combined business of our
eleven stores, which annually VIII run
into millions of dollars, is possible only
thru the factory-to-user prices we
maintain" declared Ferguson.
When A. ]. stephens, president OF
the $1,50O,000 A. J. Stephens Rubber
company and also president of the
stephens Tire Stores company, recent
ly Incorporated for $35O.000. found
that his tire, tube and accessories
manufa curing business was assuming
enormous proportions, he began plan
ming a factory outlet system of sales
that would embody. simplicity OF
over" all of which, naturally, would
make lower prices possible. He came
to the conclusion, after careful in
vestigation, that the chain store sys-
tenn of retailing would be best suited
to his purpose to make the name
stephens a household word wher-
ever tires, tubes and tire accessories
are used. Accordingly, in 1920, he
started on the work of putting his
plan into operation. Retail stores
were opened in rapid succession in
Omaha, st. Joseph, Topeka, Sedalia,
Boonville, Little Rock, Birmingham
and Los Angeles, and later new stores
were opened in Pasadena, Pine Bluff,
Knoxville, and, lastly, the headquar-
terS' store, largest west of the M1SslS-
sippi, was opened in Kansas City at
1600-1602 Grand avenue, in a large
building which will house on the sec
ond floor the general offices of the
corporation. Managers who had
learned the tire business either in the
Stephens factory or in other establish
ments were placed in charge of the
various stores and Immediately began
making the name stephens" known
thruout the nation.
The retail sales system was planned
to embody distribution with the great
est economy in movement and cost
from the factories thru the stores dir
rect to the consumer with no inter-
mediate handling, thus doing away
with overlapping of effort or the piling
up of extra profits for the user to
pay, In short, the slogan From fac
tody direct to you" sums up the whole
distribution and sales plan. 1t means
Just what it says. The A. ]. Stephens
Rubber company manufactures tires,
tubes and accessories and sells them
thru its own stores, the Stephens Tire
Stores company, placing them IN the
hands of the user with but one profit
asked. The result is rock-bottom
prices and the public's appreciation
has been reflected in a constantly in
creasing volume of sales that means
bigger factory production and the
opening of stores in many other cities
in the United States. In fact, more
stores are to be opened within the
next few weeks Several of them Will
be on the Pacific coast and others in
the middle west. The company's plan
is that before many months have
passed the Stephens chain of stores
shall span the nation north, south,
east and west.
The Stephens specially Is in blowout
shoes, and this factory makes more OF
them than any other factory In fact,
Stephens first made his reputation by
producing his automobile commodity
Then followed the manufacture OF &C
cessories and tires. This company also
makes a special rediner which is also
a great help for old tires.
Inc STOCK at stephens TSldlI SlOIO
at GIG Kansas avenue includes top re
covers, curtains and side pockets to
fit all makes of cars. These products
are made in large quantities at the
factory, thus minimizing the cost to
the customer far beyond the price OF
the made to order articles.
There are stephens fires to equip
every motor vehicle from a motorcycle
to giant truck.
By not putting out road service and
by not giving discounts the customer
is benefited by being enabled to buy
cheaper tires
"As an indication of the great vol
une of business which the Stephens
stores are doing" said Ferguson, II
cite the Los Angeles branch, which IN
July last did $4,000 worth. Others
of the stores run slightly under or over
$4,000 monthly and the volume is
gradually increasing. We feel that the
possibilities ahead OF the stephens
Tire stores company are practically
unlimited and that within few years
this chain, the first of its kind in the
United States, will become one of the
largest retail concerns in the United
States"
AGAINST Williams