The Retail Lumber Business and the Woman

It is pretty difficult to connect a womanly woman, even in imagination, with an old. fashioned retail lumber business.

But how wonderfully a keen business woman fits in with the modern scheme of retail lumbering.

AII over the United States today you will find lumber lvomen enjoying the work of selling HOMES and home improvements.

And THE CAITIFORNIA ITUMBER MERCHANT predicts without a chance for argument, that with every day that passes the hand of woman will play a constantly greater part in the merchandising of builcling materials.

Ilecause. it is really the woman you know-but there we go. stealing stufr from oae of them.

Miss Alberta Ruth Brey, of the Brey-'Wright Irunber Co.; of Porterville, California, wrote us the other day, saying: "We wouldn't go back to the olcl way of lumbering for anything. "

So we asked her what she thought of the new way of retail lunberiug, and here are some of her remarks:

"No, we wouldn't go back to the old way of doing lumber business, not for anything. The new way is the nost interesting, most fascinating business that we can possibly think of. It is such a pleasure to have something that we can

TAIrK TO WOMEN ABOUI. Before we had the plan room and service it was seldom if ever that any women cane to our ofrice. Now they come and spend. whole afternoons or mornings when they can get away from their household cares. They not only come onee, but twice and three times, and if they are'just looking'at first, it is not long before they are really interested and are ready to consider building. Atd you know, it is really the woman who builds the home (this is the stufr we were starting to steal). Friend husband puts up the cash, but it is the woman who does the selecting.

"'We never talk 'LUMBER,' any more, and it is seldom ever mentioned to a customer, who wants to builtt a house. f should say a'IIOME.' We generally talk floor plan and furnishings; whether cove ceilings or straight ceilings are all the vogue; where the couch had best set; the color of the rugs and the draperies. We appeal to our customer's imagination until she can just see her house all furnished, and herself living in it.

"It really is a great work, and we believe in it. As for results, all our contractors are busy, and they have no complaint to make of our rend.ering this service. It brings people here for plans and advice. Of course we advertise. 'We never miss an opportunity to keep before the public the fact that ''We are headquarters for l[omes.' And. we know that Porterville people have built more homes since January

7st, 7922, than they had in the three years previous. That means something. In fact, it means a great deal to us. We hope we can keep the good work going, and if energy, id.eaq courtesy, interest and advertising hqve anything to tlo with it, I am sure we will."

Honest, lumbermen! Isn't that great stufr? How can the retail lumber business go anywhere else but FORWARD rt'hen there is such inspiration to be fou:rd in it. tr'or that's just the way it hits US. Im,agine how we used to feel years ago when we were preaching this same VISION, but had no practical proofs of experience to point to, and'when the scofrers said-,-"Impractical Dreaning."

Attd now we can point to men and women in every district who are as enthusiastic over their business as this California lumber woman.

Just a short time ago we attended a meeting of the retail managers of a great lumber company which studies and breathes just one subject,-"Merchandising"-just because their experience has taught them that it really is the only important one. The eoncern we refer to keeps one high class artist who does nothing but teach and help their men sell paint and wall paper RIGHT. And we heard a young retail m&nager relate this incident, bnd bubbled with enthusiasm as he told it:

The other day I net a latly on the street, who asked: 'You sell paint and wall paper at your place, d,on't you?' I said, 'No ma'am.' 'Oh,'said she,'I thought you did.' t No, lady,t I replied, 'we sell COLOR SCHEMES. When may I have the pleasure of showing you some?' "

Miss Brey has that same idea.

It really IS a great game, this retail lumbering, when you look at it in a GREAT WAY.

Trg Thk Slogan:-

Plain or Quartered Oak Flooring

Red Gum Flooring

Beech Flooring

Hardwood '*frBt"'#o[S"

Rough or Dressed Oak or Gum

Oak Wagon Stock

Parquetry Strips

AfOmatiC Rgd Cedaf (crothes croset Linins)

Anything Else in Southern Hardwoods

We are Nlanufacturers of all this stock. Our sheds area wonderful storehouse for gour advantage.

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of the above materials for prompt shipment. You can stock your yard with many necessities with a mixed car.

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