Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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I The Facts About the Foreign-Owned Chain Store Merchandizing Methods only way we can win a battle is to understand and anticipate our enemy?the only way we can successfully meet competition in trade is to study and thoroughly underhand the methods employed our- competitors. And, it goes without saying, that the more complete is our information, the better is our chance of success. ? , \ 1. Operation 12. Maintenance 3. Baits I * , 1 J ' * 4. Nationally Advertised Goods \ r*i - sr 5. Own Brands 6. Long Profit Articles 7. Short Profit Items 1 *?4., ... , v There are other devices employed by chain stores which are very subtle?very profitable to them?extremely hard Ifl for the independent merchant to combat?and, not to be recommended to the merchant who has a sense of good ethics. II However, every merchant and consumer should have full and complete knowledge as to these doubtful practices; and lj | it is the purpose here to discuss some of theim' I 4 $ ' 1 1 I 1 At a banquet held at the Waldorf-Astoria recently by the National Association of Manufacturers, a Mr. William J. II Baxter was invited to present the chain store arguments, and ' his speech was accurately recorded^?it has proved not alone II interesting, but of the greatest value, because of the official position held by the speaker. j Mr. Baxter went on to give some truly remarkable official information about chain store methods; and to avoid II error, he is quoted as follows: "Another factor that we cannot afford to overlook is the fact that the character of the II American family has changed from 1890 to 1905. That is, prior to that time, the great majority* bf people or families in II the country were of English-speaking descent. From 1905 to 1920 we had a tremendous amount of immigration. II "Now 1 don't think that if we had to-day in this country people to the amount of 90 per cent of English descent that II we would ever have had chain stores to the extent we have. One has only to pass through any department store to see II that the average American today, is pot as intelligent as the American of 10, 20 or 30 years ago." This remarable statement, while possibly true, is of the greatest importance; because based on the present day lack I of intelligence of the consumer, these gr?at merchandising organizations arq building their business?not legitimately, I through added precautions to protect the less intelligent buyer, but, rather, by taking advantage of his lack of intelli- II gence to trick him?and just how this is being done is again officially explained by Mr. Baxter; "The most important thing is what we call the appeal to the eye. The chain store believes that its first duty is to II get the consumer into the store, and to do that you have to use modern art to the limit in the exterior and interior of the II store." , * "To me there isn't any question as to the advisability of any retail store if it can sell soirte nationally advertised line II at cost to get the crowd. ... A consumer will go to a grocery store, and she is willing to pay 55 cents for steak, whereas II it might be sold for 52 or 50 cents elsewhere, if she at the same time, can purchase Campbell's Soup, or some n other I package goods at cost Scientific retailing means studying the blind articles in the store and selling them at full II prices. But what we call open articles, the ones the consumer can go from store to store to compare, selling them at low II prices." N Here we have it straight at last?for_Mr. Baxter states that, due to the lack of intelligence of the consumer, the H chain is able, and, as a matter of fact, does deliberately pursue the policy of charging from 15 to 20 cents more for an II average size steak than its legitimate market price, and then counts on being able to get away with it by tricking their I unintelligent customer into the belief that the price is low, through offering her a 2 or 3 cent cut on a trade-marked II . article, the price of which she is familiar with because it is nationally advertised. II In other words he states frankly that the chain store is based on trickery?get all the traffic will bear on "blind ar- II tides"?things the consumer has no knowledge of?then, to create the impression that they ajre philanthropists and pub- II lie benefactors, by breaking down the costly good will and honesty established value of standard, nationally known ar- II tides, of which the consumer has complete knowledge. ' H In answer to questions asking how he could justify the use of nationally known brands in order to gain the custo- II mers confidence, and then to betray that confidence by the substitution of private brands, he stated in part as follows: I "We make goods under our own brands. If nationally advertised brands are sold at uniform prices, in self protection the II prices of our own brands must go up." * ; j Think? These conditions may or may not be operating in Camden. It is to your advantage, as well as the inde- I pendent business houses to considerV what you are getting and what you are paying for merchandise. The hokne-owned II stores are your neighbors. They have a vital interest in you and your town! H I TRADE WITH CAMDEN-OWNED STORES 1 I . | - * - 11 J-L I i I * 8 ? ' ? II Redfearn Motor Company II FORD PRODUCTS || TELEPHONE 140 ' I U L. Lomansky U SHOES AND REPAIRING 11 TELEPHONE 313 j l}{ * 1 , j I Hirsch Bros. & Company | CAMDEN'S LEADING DEPARTMENT I STORE I TELEPHONE 6 | McLeod-Rush Co. I FANCY GROCERIES AND MARKET I Good Thing* To Bat. tertlcM 4ft* Prices Rifht I 44 TELEPHONES 26 I Carolina Motor Company ji WE MAKE, SPEND AND KEEP OUR I MONEY IN CAMDEN Williams Insurance Agency j GENERAL INSURANCE TELEPHONE 62 ' Wolfe-Eichel Co. DRY GOODS?CLOTHING?SHOES LADIES' READY-TO-WEAR Burns & Barrett HARDWARE & SPORTING GOODS 1 ' - TELEPHONE 94 ?? ? The Leader DRY GOODS-rCLOTHING SHOES j W./G. Wilson PRICE?QUALITY?SERVICE WE LIVE, BUY AND SELL IN CAMDEN sa TP McCaskill & Lollis YOUR GROCER FOR YEARS SERVICE ARP qUAUTJC ALWAYS R. S. Williams staple and fancy groceries phone 47 we deliver Canufen Furniture Company the home of honest, values telephone 1s6 John M, Villepigue & Co. telephone 14 Electrik Maid Bake Shop specializing in kream krust bread cakes and fles * Rhame Brothers teleph6ne 92 Miss M. E. Gerald exclusive miunery shop . . -S-fr r ^ v Lang's Grocery FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES OUR MOTTO) '^HJALITY FIRST" south s SHELL PRODUCTS '' ' |j WHOLESALE?RETAIL H TELEPHONE 70 |f B. W. Marshall 1 I. DRYGOODS?GROCERIES?MEATS I] PHONE 364-W j| A. Sheheen II I * fill I . GROCERIES?Wholesale and Retail i! I TELEPHONE 323-W ; I DesChamps, Inc. II | Dry Cleaning for Particular People jj ! OUR SERVICE WILL PLEASE YOU j 1403 DeKALB STREET PHONE 567 II Schlosburg's Stores n Schlosburg's 5-10-25c Stores H OFFICE TELEPHONE 295