WORTH KNOWING

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXII, Issue 20, 16 February 1927, Page 7

WORTH KNOWING

THE SMALL TRADER. WINS OUT. Every once in a while there is a wail from a small town dealer that the life of the store in the smaller centres is doomed, and that the big fellows in the larger towns are going to put all the small men out of business. Never was there a greater fallacy. Just as 4 ‘big fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite ’em, and little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum,” so the big stores have other big stores to contend with, and, what is even more troublesome, the small stores which arc near at hand. The significant point is that most these stores, both large and small, are doing* well, making money in spite of the difficulties that loom up so big in the imagination, and : ruth to say, in the experience of some -mall-town dealers, prospering. In any metropolitan centre, be it Auckland, Wellington, Chris/church or Dunedin, you will f find a number of long-established stores located away from the main shopping centre, yet whose patrons arc within easy access of the big establishments. And within a few miles of these cities, in suburban towns, you’ll find many other stores, all of which continue not only to live, but to prosper. Retailers everywhere complain of the motor car or the train that takes their customers to the larger centres, and yet when you go back to these small towns you find some retailers at any rate who appear to be doing well. It is true that a goodly number of such stores arc having a struggle to make both ends meet. > We arc afraid that in many cases the owners of the stores who arc up against it lack the knowledge of human nature that everyone needs if he is to sell successfully. Frequently one meets that attitude of mind that their neighbours ought to “support” them. Most people however, feel free to buy -and when they like to buy. The merchant who fosters the “support me” idea in his own mind, only gets himself disgruntled and sore at his neighbours because they don’t sec things in the same light. The only sound plan to adopt is to make the store and the goods more attractive, and by service win them over. Tell your neighbours what you can do for them rather than waste time telling them what you think they ought to do for you. It is the personal element that counts most of all in business, and in that respect alone the small-town retailer has a tremendous advantage over his competitors in the larger centres. Then there is the matter of buying. Lacking a good system of control, a big percentage of small-town retailers, stocks are a lot larger thtn they need be. It is admitted that you must have assortments, but how often do you find your shelves’loaded with goods that are seldom called for?

Having to buy in small quantities is certainly a disadvantage, but there is nothing to prevent a number of nearby small retailers forming a group and uniting their buying forces. A group of this kind can do its purchasing in unison, and thereby get better selections, besides more advantagesous prices and terms. It can also exchange information among its members as to cost of doing business, number of stock-turns, and how they are obtained, the kind of goods that are selling best, the prices that are being paid for merchandise, and a hundred and one other points that arc of normal interest.

Because a small-town retailer has a* smaller store he should be able to watch the details better. By having a good stock system he is in a position to eliminate some of the leaks-that arc the bugbear of his big competitor in the larger cities. His store is more convenient to the people round about, and being close at hand'he can always pick up a certain amount of trade. He is in a‘position to know his people, their tastes, and the extent oftheir pocketbooks. By rendering good service he can make his neighbours like him as a man and a merchant. Even if he lacks the big city stores’ ability to make a reputation for all or most of his departments, he can still run things so that his neighbours will say that taking everything into account his store-can-not be surpassed. —N.Z. Accountant.