The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-07-29
KEY WEST MERCHANTS noNADyERTIsERs

1t is to be regretted if reports are true thai
quite number of prominent Key West people are
doing he bulk of their shopping in the Magic City
these days. They read the advertisements in the
Miami newspapers, and then go there to make their
purchases. Some of them are said to claim that
they find goods much cheaper in Miami than in
Key West, and that they save enough on number
of purchases combined to almost pay their railroad
fare.
The patronage of Key West people seems to
have become an important matter with the Miami
merchants, and it is reported that they contemplate
taking steps to have weekend excursion rates estab
lished from Key West, and that they plan to re-
fund fare to Key West shoppers whose combined
purchases in Miami total certain amout.
If thi. plan is carried out, it will mean that an
increased volume of the cream of business will go
out Of town. leaving the merchants here only The
crumbs of trade.
Key West is the only city of any size in the
whole world where the merchants unite in flat
refusal to advertise For this reason immense sums
of money go from Key West every month to the
mail order houses, and great deal of the per-
nearby cities.
1t looks bad for Key West, but no sympathy
is due the local merchants for not one of them ever
advertises in his home newspaper 1t is not intend
ed to discuss here whether they are afraid of the
quality of their goods and reluctant to make
their prices known in advertisements But if their
goods and prices all right they should not hes
tate to publish them 10 the world as honorable and
progressive merchants do everywhere else.
The local newspaper is generally looked upon
index to its community, and it is serious
reflection upon Key West for people in other states
to pick up The Citizen and discover that not mer-
chant in the town is advertising to any extent
whatever.
Intelligent people have been educated up to
the fact that all reputable, progressive merchants
consider advertising the greatest factor in their bus
mess success, and that the largest stores are the
most extensive advertisers in every city. Frugal
shoppers and buyers of home supplies have become
accustomed to consulting newspaper advertisements
to such an extent that they rarely enter The bus
mess place of non-advertiser.
How many merchants in Key West? No trouble
to count them. Just go up Duval street on Satur-
day evenings, rush time among shoppers in other
cities, and you'll see almost every standing in
front Of his place of business. And you can count
most all the clerks in the same way.
This is all because they do not advertise, and
back their advertising with goodssand prices that
attractive to the local buying public They
prefer TO loaf about the front doora complain of
poor business" when the fault is all their own
It can be said without fear Of successful con-
tradiction that conditions are as good in Key West
as at any other Florida city at this season of the
yaer. Key West people dress nicely as any you
will find in America, and none of them go hungry
They pay out plenty of money for good food and
nice clothes but very little of it is spent here at
home. It goes to The mail order hcuses to Miami
and other nearby cities, while Key West merchants
refuse to advertise and consequently sit around and
do nothing most of the time.
1t is estimated upon good authority that for
the past and more money has been going out of
Key West to the great mail order houses at the rate
of 100000 month, and this estimate will bear
closest Investigation This is over million dol
lars year the merchants of Key West let go out
Of town, never to return, simply because they will
not advertise.