permanent customers. Many pharmacists can thank their Special Candy Sales held every Saturday for a good number of their steady customers. Those chance candy buyers became permanent buyers in all the departments of the store. The writer can testify to the truthfulness of this statement. CHAPTER XLII. How To ADD SIDE LINES. MANY a retail merchant has gotten himself into a bad fix by trying to develop his store into a department store through the addition of many side lines. The ambition to add many side lines has been strong and was carried out without the necessary capital or "know how," resulting in a miscellaneous stock with but little variety and scarcely any attractive power. Development along department-store lines looks easy and no good reason is seen why it shouldn't succeed, so retail merchants have stocked several new side lines, and if the entire amount paid for these side lines was devoted to just one, even then, the merchant wouldn't be on a competitive footing with the department stores in his town. The addition of too many side lines makes your store resemble the "general store" of the small country town. You, as a pharmacist, should be careful about taking on too many improvements and too many side lines. They call for money all the time, and unless you have abundant capital and a great deal of business experience, and local conditions are ripe for such development, any addition of side lines must be very gradual, putting in one line at a time, and building it up to the point where it's success is assured before adding another. The department stores use this plan. A certain department store in the writer's town added candy as a side line, they went slow at first, then built it up gradually, but found out that it didn't pay, so they dropped it before losing any money on it. Next they added a shoe department, which met the same fate. Next a gent's clothing department, and so on. They experimented in a small way until they tried out the different side lines and kept those showing the greatest success. That should be your plan when you feel that your business has grown to that point where new side lines are necessary for its proper promotion. Having decided to add a new side line, try and get the exclusive agency on some article of that side line which is not already on sale in any other store in your town. This will prevent other stores from cutting the price on it, and besides you will benefit by the manufacturers' advertising campaigns for the article in the general mediums. Get further information on that particular side line from trade papers, conversations with traveling men, hints from retailers out of town, etc. Get your clerks to talk up the new line, advertise it in the papers, give window displays, interior displays, keep track of the sales and expenses, then if the proper returns come in, put in a little more money, get a larger variety and give it more space until it is on a permanent paying basis. If it doesn't reach this state, then drop it, close out what stock you have at cost, and try another side line. Of course this takes time, but in such a case you can well afford the time. If this side line don't go, you find it out in time to prevent any great loss, whereas if you loaded up with a big stock and found it didn't go you would be a long time getting your money back or part of it, and you would be prevented from using that capital to invest on another side line. PHOTOGRAPHIC SUPPLIES.-A splendid side line for pharmacists because it has a close connection with their chemical department, many chemicals being required for the different processes of developing pictures. This is one particular side line that you must study. There is no end to all the questions you will be required to answer and you don't want to "fall down" on any of them. If you are asked to load a Brownie camera for some party going to the nearby lake or mountain resort some Sunday, be sure you know how to do it. If your opinion is asked about any certain "fixing bath," "developer," or "intensifier," be able to state your opinion clearly and with a thorough understanding of the subject. Amateurs are continually asking questions about photographic work that require both knowledge and patience to answer. To popularize your photographic supplies department you must be thoroughly familiar with all the phases of photographic work. Some of the leading camera manufacturers conduct correspondence schools on photography and it would pay you to give the necessary time to it, besides helping you in your business, you would find it an interesting study. You could organize a little camera club of your leading camera customers, plan to go out with them on camera excursions. For your opening stock you had better take the advice of a camera manufacturer. Have him send a man to see you, let him size up your territory so as to get his proper bearings, then let him pick out a good assortment for you and plan your opening campaign. You can trust him not to load you up too much at the start. His concern will furnish circulars, booklets, and electrotypes. They will aid you in publishing your own circular, which is a good plan. In this circular you can advertise your stock of cameras, photographic papers, developing machines, chemicals, your facilities for developing pictures, etc. You can develop the pictures yourself or have it done by a photographer on a commission basis. The writer visited a pharmacist in a town of 5000 inhabitants, who had a splendid dark room fitted up in the basement of his store. He had built up a big business on photographic supplies and picture developing. As most amateurs find it difficult to understand the working of a camera from the printed instructions in the book, it is better to explain it to them when you sell them the camera. Get the camera ready yourself two or three times, then make the customer do it several times until he is thoroughly familiar with the regulation of the stops and how to make snapshots and time exposures, how to arrange the films, etc. He will be grateful to you for this little lesson. A good way to advertise your department is to offer prizes for the best pictures of local scenery, buildings, streets or parks. The spring is a good time to push photographic goods, as the DISPLAY SHOWING THE MODERN TENDENCY OF PHARMACISTS TO PUSH SAFETY RAZORS AS A SIDE LINE. NOTE EMPHASIS GIVEN TO THE |