San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-02
KEEPING MONEY.
home KEY TO
| SUCCESS
S$uthwest Merchants Get
S. A. Help in Retail
Supremacy Fight.
By c. c. WOLFE
- a-x.-so Ctanher ~ Commerce.

sexr<tary. Trade Extension Department,
Ban Antonio Chamber Of Commerce.
If the merchants OF Texas fully
reeiized and appreciated the import
auce of the meetings to be conducted
In San Antonio from August 8 10 10,
every man who could possibly arrange
TO leave his business would certainly
be in attendance. In considering these
meetings important it is from the
viewpoint of the merchant and those
Of his employees on whom he depends
TO- assist him in the conduct OF his
business; likewise from the viewpoint
ofsthe jobbers and the manufacturers
whose business depends upon these
retail merchants. This meeting is con-
Quoted Mt the time when the greatest
proportion of merchants find IL neces'
cary 30 attend the market TO buy their
fail requirements and -thHs enables
them to attend the educational .insti-
tutes while they are doing their shop
ping.
The Trade Extension Department
has expended unusual effort 20 make
this meeting success and major at
fention has been given to the secur-
ing of merchandising authorities who
are competent 10 advise and instruct
our merchant customers on topics on
which they should be vitality interest
ed. as most of them are.
FOREIGN COMPETITION.
The independent retail merchant
ms a class faces a situation with
which the individual finds it diff
cult to cope, and that is the inroads OF
foreign competition as represented by
the mail order and catalog houses,
the chain store and the house TO house
canvasser. The mail order houses have
made astounding progress during the
past 20 years and the measure OF
their growth is far in exces Of increase
of population or consumer demand.
According to statistics published BY
the u. S. Department of Commerce,
two mail order houses in 1913 did an
average monthly business of S11,-
275.000. These same two houses in
1919 had reached a monthly average
business of S29,772,O00. Accurate
statistics from two other mail order
concerns becoming available in 1919
show for the four houses an average
monthly volume Of S36,579, 900 in the
year 1924. These two groups show
ing $54,094,0O0 and S46,316,0O0 re-
spectively. This Is an enormous vol
ur1e of business. The total business
done By these four houses in 1924
closely approximates one half billion
dollars: practically all Of this bust
ness. comes from rural communities
and Il is absolutely lost 10 the mer-
chants Of the rural communities. In
addition house 70 house cnnyassers
die q business of S300,0O0 during
the same period. Just a Jew figures
VIII illustrate the growth Of chain
stores:
CHAIN STORES GROW.
At the close of 1924. 1906 chain
grocery stores did a business Of $71O,-
900, 000-2033 five and ten cent chain
stores did a business Of over $780,
100000, TO say nothing of the vast
quantity Of business involved in
candy. cigars and dry goods chains.
The Kresge, Woolworth, McCrory and
Kress chains, with 1856 stores at the
end of the year 1924 showed a COM
biDed volume for the year Of S370,-
VyosOyU. Lie d. - IenleF company
alone did approximately S74,OOO,UOU
worth OF business having $50 stores
at the close of 1924, representing an
increase of nearly 100 over the stores
in operation in 1923.
This volume Of business is lost TO
the Independent retailer as well as TO
the local wholesaler and is working
serious economic loss 20 both and 70
the communities in which they are 10
GATED. II is having a tendency 20 cen
tralize control Of distribution our daily
necessities of life IN the hands of a
few; probably nothing could be more
disastrous.
SERIOUS PROBLEM.
How 10 successfully meet this com.
petition and make a profit is the mos,
serious problem facing the retailer
the wholesaler and independent manu-.
facturer today and this means that all
who depend upon these three branches
of industry for their livelihood arc
likewise adversely affected. This com.
petition Is being met successfully By
progressive retailers in all parts o!
- TT0ftoT ENafac Tbara - -. -