Sam Lambert and the New Way Store | Page 6

the
beginning as the leading clothier. That's the reputation you want to
keep.
"Mr. Lambert, one of the important problems of this store is to house
your stock in new fixtures and at the same time widen your aisles.
"You can not see how that is possible. It is really the only problem I
have to solve for you, and it is easy."
The little man with the big spectacles had things moving. He was not
much of a salesman but he knew all about merchandising in a retail
store.
And he certainly was familiar with every store fixture and selling
device that had ever been invented, its good and bad points, where it
was practical and where it was not.
"Before a merchant puts money into store equipment," said the
wardrobe man, "he ought to be sure that he is getting the very latest and
most improved models. He owes this to himself as a protection for his
investment.
"There is always a temptation to save a few dollars by adopting a poor
imitation or some out-of-date device.
"The latest and best is the cheapest in the end, especially when you
consider convenience and durability.
"A pretty safe guide is to see what the biggest and best stores
everywhere are installing today.
"You will find such merchants as John Wanamaker in his Philadelphia
and New York stores equipping his clothing departments solely with
New Way Crystal Wardrobes;

"Browning, King & Company in seventeen cities;
"Schuman, Kennedy, Posner, Talbot Company, Jordan-Marsh &
Company, Leopold Morse Company, McCullough & Parker in Boston;
"George Muse Company in Atlanta;
"Mullen & Bluett of Los Angeles;
"Becker of San Francisco;
"Burkhardt of Cincinnati;
"Lazarus, and Meyer Israel of New Orleans;
"And more than a thousand others--all the representative stores of their
localities.
"These men have selected the New Way Crystal Wardrobes after
careful comparison with every other device on the market.
"They have found the New Way Crystal Wardrobe the most sightly and
compact--having the largest capacity with the greatest ease of
operation.
"They find that they show the goods better; that the clerks can work
faster from them; that half a dozen clerks can sell from one wardrobe at
the same time; that one boy can keep the stock in good shape where
four were inadequate under any other plan.
"They find that the New Way people have basic patents on special
features, such as the New Way disappearing doors that divide in the
center, and slide into the ends of the wardrobe and do not project into
the aisle.
"The New Way revolving rack with the patent locking device, which
works loaded or unloaded with equal ease--no friction, no leverage, no
noise.

"They find the New Way low center wardrobes give an unobstructed
view all over the store and are the only wardrobes made that are
entirely practical for grouping in front of a furnishing or hat
department.
"Likewise the high double deck wall wardrobes have more than double
the capacity of tables."
The wardrobe man illustrated his talk with photographs and backed his
arguments with figures.
The upshot of it was that he made a complete ground plan of the
Lambert store with a modern selling arrangement and New Way
fixtures in their proper places.
But before Stucker would admit the wisdom of the improvement, he
argued it from every point of view.
"The farmer trade," he said, "would imagine that they would have to
pay higher prices for clothing to make up the cost of new fixtures."
This, mind you, today when the farmer is the most enlightened member
of the community--when he is using progressive methods in marketing
his own product, to reduce his costs and increase his profits!
Lem acknowledged that the clothiers who are handling the finest
merchandise are fitting up their stores with New Way Crystal
Wardrobes, and he didn't like to admit that the Lambert Store didn't sell
high grade merchandise.
He conceded that fine goods in every other line of trade are treated with
the care and respect they deserve, otherwise they would suffer in the
handling and cease to be fine merchandise.
Finally, Lem admitted that the discerning public does judge a
merchant's stock by the way he treats it, so that the store with New
Way Wardrobes as a feature is not only the most progressive store, but
in practically every instance the most prosperous in the clothing trade

of its locality.
After Sam had given the order his one thought was impatience for the
completion of the job.
"I must have that stuff all installed so that I can have my opening a
week ahead of the other people.
"Here, Stucker," called Sam to that gloomy soul, who had gone behind
a stock of work-shirts, while the order was being signed, "we'll let you