THERE'S MONEY IN IT FOR YOU.

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 2, 12 June 1984, Page 9

THERE'S MONEY IN IT FOR YOU.

Above is a photo of the first Laidlaw Leeds catalogue. In honour of those early purchases which were the corner stone of the 'Farmers' success, the Raetihi branch are offering $15.00 off any purchase for those who can bring in an item purchased through one of the early catalogues.

The year 1909 was an important, progressive year for Auckland. The Town Hall and the new Chief Post Office were under construction. Across the Grafton Gully gap, what was claimed to be the largest single span ferro-concrete bridge in the world was taking place. The main trunk AucklandWellington railway was opened for regular express services in February. And, about that same time, a small mail order company was set up in Fort Street near the wharves. Called Laidlaw Leeds Limited, it was the pride of young Scot, Robert Laidlaw. There never was a partner by the name of Leeds. The company name was meant to show that the founding owner was confident that his business would one day "lead" its field. But he was too modest to put that blatantly into the title — hence Laidlaw "Leeds" instead. Robert Laidlaw had been born in Ayrshire and brought to New Zealand by his parents and grandmother when he was a year old. The family settled in Dunedin. The inspiration for the tiny Fort Street company had been found several years earlier in a hotel lounge in Southland, in a catalogue from the American mail order company, Montgomery Ward. Robert Laidlaw had, at the time, been employed as a commercial traveller for the hardware merchants Wingate and Co. He earned a weekly

wage of two pounds and ten shillings. Smitten by the concept of mail order, he was determined to introduce it to New Zealand, despite being ridiculed by many of his rural customers. Sceptics said New Zealanders were different from Americans and would not send money in advance of receiving goods. In later years he would remember the only other person who was as confident in success as he was, his mother. After four years on the road, at the age of 23, he had saved 240 pounds and moved to Auckland. He was ready. The First Laidlaw Leeds catalogue was produced in 1909. The No. 1 catalogue had 1 1 8 pages, three order forms and a cover. Its illustrations were provided mainly by the manufacturers and wholesalers themselves, commercial artists of the day being few and far between. On the first page appeared the Laidlaw Leeds Guarantee Certificate: "Be it known that this Guarantee Certificate binds us by His Majesty's Law, to carry out in detail, everything contained herein." "This is to certify that you may return within one month of having received them, any part, or all, of the goods received from us, if you, after examination, are not more than satisfied, with the value or quality of same, or if for any other

reason you would rather have your money back." "If such goods are returned in the same order and condition as we shipped them, we agree to refund in full the money you paid for the goods, as well as what you paid in freight, and in addition we will pay the freight back so that you will not have lost a single farthing in the transaction." Although a money-back guarantee had been given in America as far back as November 1861, it was the first time such a guarantee had been widely advertised in New Zealand. It was strictly adhered to. The same guarantee still operates today and company executives consider it one of the prime forces in The Farmers' Trading Company's phenomenal growth and success. Many of the older residents in the Raetihi and Ohakune area remember the Laidlaw Leeds catalogues. The catalogues caught on well and soon became a popular household method of purchasing those necessary items which otherwise might have proved hard to obtain. The idea of the catalogue was to feature certain items at just above cost. These 'lose leaders' or 'draw lines' were meant to overcome the farmers' natural conservatism and entice him to order more. The Raetihi Branch of the Farmers' Trading Company is young in comparison to its big br other in Auckland. The present day store-room was once the local billiard and tearooms, the concrete squares which once supported the billiard table legs can still be seen today on the floor of the storeroom. The . Farmer's Trading Company purchased Purser's Company some 19 years ago which included their Raetihi branch. Farmers' Trading continued to trade from the old building until the new store was built alongside one year later. The old building became the store-room and the new building is as it stands today.