Page 8 Advertisements Column 2

NZ Truth, Issue 1240, 5 September 1929, Page 8

WAR OF ATTRITION — ♦ Big Grocery Firms' Attempt to Oust Rival SELF HELP STATE THEIR CASE Athwart the commercial > horizon in Wellington and Christchurch there looms. a war of rival business organisations— a war of attrition. A percipient public, looking in retrospect, will not fail to remember—in Wellington, at least^-when, a few years ago the Self - Help Co-op. Grocery Ltd., through the foresight and energy of one man, launched forth on a policy of business which brought to the basic wage earner the vital necessities of life at a minimum of ; cost. Years of careful guidance have seen made before the Self Help demonthis business spread, not merely for the strated th the people of that city great material benefit of the man who that groceries could be sold cheaper first Initiated it, hut for that of the and still a small margin shown, general public also. _.. ... . „ . The capital of this company is Briefly, the principle of success upon app rox j m a te | y £5000 it was which this organisation was based— originally intended to be £20,000, an organisation which has but several members of the new thousands and is at the present time organisation withdrew, employing hundreds of employees — is „ . • ; i. _;..•;, •■ . !• n o* j t i i i, Soon after the Self Help started in a "small profit and a quick return." „ t _, , , • • .- a ■• M .■•'^ BV ■ "« . •■:■ . * . Christohurch. five prominent grocers But the business extension has there held a riieeting and declared war been no easy one— it has been ham- on the new rival. There were to be no pered and harried at^ every turn, more surplus profits until the Self Help but never for, one moment has. its lay a, dead and bleeding thing at their onward march been stayed. ;••;, feet.' . : ■':' : - '" -' -'. , ;: ' One ;nian withdrew from the com-'" Now; at last, a more concentrated bination, but the remaining four deattempt ;is being made:; to check-and cided to enlist the aid of all other busieven destroy— the Self Help Groceries, nesses concerned and pool some of The public support assuredly ..will their gains, using it as a weapon to go to.', the concern, w.hich, through drive the Self Help to bankruptcy, careful guidance, has in. past years Placed quality goods before them at a The mighty four, however^ did not minimum cost. v And this concern is the I°"S remain intact. Arising out-of Self Help Groceries. subsequent developments one of them . ■' ; withdrew his support v This war/about to be waged, far / '.;"' •-. - from ordinary' commercial rivalry,* : - .-• -The' .Wellington i grocars and meris being undertaken apparently chants- wfrer also approached with with the losses already "totted up" ayiew to, r^smy* umis to fight the N and tallied. ' ' ':...■}<. ■ -.''"Self HelpV- but.; there was- nothing = : _ „. "t ''. •'.■'■' . ' •■: doing.; "Play in your own back- '■'. By selling, at a direct loss, grocery -. „ .■.'-.- i. . '..-■■ y .. ...■,. ■ -.- .< yard "was, in effect, the reply .they concerns recently opened .. hope..:.;, to; '; •'.'«' within a few years, crush the Self Help ■■":"•" ■•. :'- V ' '„ '' „ ■"■■; „„*. *'-.««* « ''"'•":"Tjr- ''■ : -''V"-"- v -' *« i' : : ii. 1 •: -A. systematic canvass of NewrZea- • out of existence.. v Knowing that the ; • .;.: ... „ . ■■■/-■■ . : -^7 • „■,. „.„ :■. • -.■..;/ ■■■'.;■- ■■'• , '••:"'.*' 'VMt land met;with little success, hence the Self Help, in its. desire to supply the :■ • • - . - ■■• ■■•-;- . .vvi*. ,„ \. -• . -;■"■ „„W i,„„ „v,. M i j •*' '•"-•* curtailment of the initial offensive, but public, has whittled its return on a ' ./- V v ... . , "■ , „ * " j ii ' . the: process,, .they claim, will be the maximum turnover down to a bare .... .-.••*.? ..;''; '/.: . ■ , ... ' . , same, although it will "necessarily, take minimum, and that it cannot reduce ..:..->. ... , ■ v ■- * . lonjyer - " ■ .-:- ~ prices further unless by selling at a., J* . ' -, ,:-,-,-. .■'•■■'■■ ->, ,_ . 4-i, U , '■■■•;,■ x. • > This attack is being launched hy loss, these,, newly-opened shops in • -.-.. ,; . ,° .•__■. .»„ , • '-rov;,,,' ' v ' •■'■•u ' ■ -, ■•■ ; i*" n- * "■■ i. i ' some of the grocers m Chnstchurch. ■ Wellington . hope, by selling at below ; •■ .-.;•-■■■ ' ~, x '■■-.- '•'.'■■■• i >: .- ■«•■'• i« : t T i' i "i, In fact, one of the southern merchants cost price, to run the Self Help out of •-.■:■ - ' ■ . . „_ „. _, „ ■ '-. ' ' ' . \ : >. went sofar as to visit Wellington, and ■.:'_>. ■-. -- ■.■■'. '. , '«;.. ... ■'"., '■•. • f>' .. . ' . endeavored through one of the whole- : Erroneously, they anticipate that the . ... ■■*• i. -■ -• +i. • „. *■■•>, ■'■■■■ ■ . ' .. salers, to bring pressure to bear on the public, ever ready^tobuy^ the. cheap- Self Help to quit Christcnurch . est market will forsake the Self Help ■:, in their favour. VBut they reckon A Christchurch mercliarit, when ap-' without the -logic -that inustneces- proached i b^ the Mariagine Director of sariiy be appjied ' to :such a scheme. -..' tlie Self Help, who asked him if it were . Cin such 1 an undertaking. carry : on ; true that- he: v was contributing £500 indefinlteiyraxid contiriue to-c to fight the Self it .cami^^^rers l V,^rkt^ed.to answer. ;pYerrW;ken:^ Self Help, going on the^supposition, th'i%^&^Se]|; "|elated and organised, as it is, can Help should go out of ..existence,. thes£ never/' succeed. The short history of new grocery concerns may also "vanish this, the true "People's Grocer" is a like mists before the morning suri.'-' romance of modern commercial acThey have been created apparently tivity, nor will the perfervid and bitter for the purpose of attempting to drive attack by his opponents find favor the §elf Help to bankruptcy— by selling with those who have been asked at a 'loss— and. then possibly^ they through advertisement to "Support the themselves will gracefully retire into grocer who has supported you." oblivion, or, rather, into the high- : ■ - '.'.'-" ... . j.u ; ■''■..•■ .-., „ « . j ™ „„„„ Co-operation in anything is the priced and heavily financed grocery --. , . • ', ,-" ... concerns which gave them backing. .£*"•*•■ 1? *"'?*** ™t thP ° USh '* Behind these benignant and "more the Se f Help has bu.lt up an or- „ . „,. „.■■ . ■ ganisation which supplies the for your ., shilling" grocery stores are ?•!'.■.:.... . t t 7u i j. , ■ ; „ . i public with '.the best .at the lowest some of the big retail grocery busi- F " • .. nesses that for yekrs prior to the pnee Possible. advent of the Self Help were piling up Had the Self Help in the years past huge -.profits .on -the products they sold, made huge profits at the expense of the Now, they hope, once again to public, then it too, might be in a posiattract .the public trade to their tion to sell at a loss, but: having no '-counters. * ' huge coffers from, which to toss away thousands of pounds, it anticipates and The public are the pawn to be played f^ asgured v of . t ' he public support, for— on the one hand the Self Help, Gne cimnot atem the me or sta y the fighting for its own existence and the march of progress, and willy-nilly, the public's pocket, and on the other hand gelf Help will continue its way despite the wealthy concerns which have felt aU obs tacles that may arise.— AD VT. in no uncertain manner the advent, of ... - . ; .. .'. - ; the former into the legitimate field of _- .. . . ~ ~ ; ■ ~ business. :". . Rabbit and Opossum Skins Should the Self Help fail to stand up The dunbdlN- MARKET Is the reto this intensified mode of attack, cogiiised New selling centre >u ""° „,,„ maan for Rabbit and Opossum skins. We then for the public it will mean have speC i a iised in Expert Grading, onlv one thing — retroversion — hack -to- and command the confidence of Buyers. •* ""°- ° ■ . - - Prompt remittance, the old days when the "Provision Mer- Cash advance on receipt of skins, .. chant" . charged just whatever he c^^l% hts . Highest price. pleased. It is not hard to visualise • (we are brokers only). day when the working-man's , '.We Mil J^*g*^+Jg!*£g: shilling "won't be stretched." cation. r The attempt -to. curtail the activities . ■■■M^^fcr'ffia^t-SSSKTSStIImd of the Self Help was first made m your skins to— Christchurch. . There certain grocers The OtagO Partners ' Co-op. formed themselves into a limited Association of N.Z., Ltd. liability coriipany— proceeds of profits ; Crawford "Street, Dunedln. •..'. > . P.O. Box: 417. ■ 3-in-one W/AmEasy Readi^ WHEREVER f you, live, wherever youcanbuy. It eliminates friction and you work, there are nuirierous prevents wear. It positively Droterts things around you pleading for 3-ln- metal from rust and tarnish in anv One to free them from squeals and climate or weather. It is unsurnaswS Inlothe^oalfet any utner ou tnat polished surfaces. THREE-IN-ONE OIL COMPANY London and New York. FREEr Send; for Generous Sample and dictionary . of uses; both free, .to ; REID AND REID, P.O. Box 51, Wellington. i);miiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiim