Babson Says Retailers Must Improve Methods

By TACK DIONNE

"Several hrmdred ttourand retail merchantr in the United Stater would be better off as biicklayen and' plartererrr- rather than to continue in their present buineurt' Rogu Babron, the farnour burine* foreca,eter and rtud'ent told the Associated Advertiing Clubr of the World at trheir recent convention at Atlantic City.

He went on to ray that there are 1r5O0r(X)O retail merchantr in the country, of which number IOOTOOO are pfotp€rou+ 4(X)rOOO ere doing fairty we[ and the remaining million are rilruggling dogb

"And" raid Mr. Babron, "the rohilion liec, NOT in 6lirningting thele rnillion inefficient dealen, but in educating thm to greater efficiency and to the giving of the greatert porsible lerice."

Three checn for ll[r. Babcon

For many, many year!, twice ever5r month end many timer between timee, I've been saying that rarne 'h:ng eractly to the rctail lumber men And nilr. Babcontr rtatement applies jurt ar directly to the lumber dealerr-perhapr on tte ayeragc iust a little more 3(>.-u to the deal€r ia any othcr line.

The retailer.--*egardlel of what he rclb-who operatee hir buriner in rrhe relflarnc way that he did ten lears agH)r eyelr FM learl ags- ir a businear DOarback. He may be gettins by, or he may be making money-the factr are the lanDe.

Timet are chenging, conditionr are changingr the needr and dernandr of the consun€r are changing, tte neceoity for bruine$ sqrtice ir increaring, with evcry ringle year that parrer; and tte man who rtandt rtill ir cheating his tradc of one of theh nShtr.

The merchendiring world har trmcd entirely ovcr in ten ycan. The entire face of the retailing world har bcen dtcred in five year& Yct wc havc thourandr of retail lumber dealen who are runnhg f:heir buriner jurt exactly like they did in rtasecoach deyr, and it lookr ar thowh nothing fiort of a charge of dynenitc or lome "dow muric" can jar them from thcir path.

The aUuring and seductive at{ractivenes of dling bruinecr c€ryice inrteed of rhinglee and twoby-fourr fallt unheeded on trheir ean. "q€rvic€tt to tbem melnr goodly rtockr of nerchandhe, fair pricet, square treatrnent. THAPS what it meant tr"uoty ycarl ago; jurt exadly that.

God belp the pcople whore building rcrvice TODAY ir that of a gcncntion gone! '

The deeler who operetel ttet way may be a fair and honert man; but he is depriving tte people of hir town of one of their goodliert priveleger-ir onc of tho:e concerning whom Babson rpoke when he raid they chould be bricklayen and plastereru.