FARMERS' WHOLESALE BUSINESS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 380, 22 July 1911, Page 7

FARMERS' WHOLESALE BUSINESS.

Our Auckland representative has forwarded us a few particulars regarding the firm of Messrs Laidlaw, Leeds, Fort street, Auckland, whose name, in quite a short period, has become a household word, To keep pace with the rapid growth of their business, they lately secured a lengthy lease of the adjourning warehouse, equal in size to that in which they are at present situated. This gives a space area of 3,230,000 cubic feet. Messrs Laidlaw, Leeds, have only been in business one year and nine 'months, commencing in a 20 feet by 30 feet store in Fort street; three months afterwards they removed into premises in Commerce street, containing 55,000 cubic feet. In nine months the business had outgrown their premises and they were compelled to take over a four-storey building in Fort street, which they now occupy, containing 160,000 cubic feet of space. Now, after occupiyng this immense timlding far eight months, they again find it necessary to double the size of their premises, as already mentioned, giving 320,000 cubic feet, or forty times the space contained in the first building occupied, which means that on an average they have doubled the size of their premises each month. On interviewing Mr Laidlaw, he attributed this wonderful growth to the business sagacity of the farmers in grasping the opportunity offered of purchasing goods at net wholesale prices for cash smd thus eliminating the retailer's heavy expense. On looking over the building une sees immense stocks of every description. The shelving required contains 40,000 feet of timber, equal to the amount required to erect a mansion of twelve rooms. They have installed two electric lifts, each capable of carrying one ton of goods and raising same at the rate of 80 feet per minute. They have also three large cart entrances, j Su as to give quick despatch to the j numerous orders received daily from ! all parts of the North Island.