Part 54 (2/2)

”Dawson,” said Charlie, after dinner--he had got to calling me Dawson outside of business--”Do you know why I have been working for you for the last few months?”

”Why, no, unless you've just wanted to do something.”

”I never do anything just because I want to fill in some spare time,” he smiled. ”My business training has taught me that I cannot afford to make a lot of waste motions. I came to your store because I wanted a small-store experience.”

”We're not so small,” I protested.

”Well, let's say small compared to Bon Marche in Paris, or Selfridges in London, or Marshall Field in Chicago, or such young concerns. However, I think I know more about small-store conduct than I did before, now that I've had some experience. You see, I studied retail merchandising, but that was only half the battle, you know. All I learned there was no use whatever until I found whether I could actually apply it.

”As you know,” he continued, ”I went to Detroit and studied the automobile business--not from the manufacturing end, but from the distribution end--because Fred Barlow and I had a hunch that there was a big future in automobile selling, if we could discover it.”

”I should think there was a big 'present,'” I remarked.

”Yes, there is a big present for the manufacturers, and some few distributors make a fine thing out of it. But the distribution end struck us as being very inadequate.”

”Fancy you two young fellows deciding that the big bucks up in Detroit don't know how to sell automobiles!”

”I guess you're right, at that,” agreed Charlie; ”but the outsider often gets a different slant on things from the fellow who is continually on the job. But that's neither here nor there,” and he waved his hand as if to brush aside the discussion. ”The point is that Fred and I went to Detroit together and studied the automobile business from the distribution end, and, of course, we also learned how they are made. We then looked into the accessories, and found out quite a lot about selling them. Then we decided we wanted retail-store experience, particularly in hardware. So Fred has been studying the practical side of retail-store management in his dad's office, while I have been studying it in yours.”

”Do you think that's quite fair?” I said indignantly, ”for you and Fred Barlow to use his father and me as suckers?”

”Don't get vexed,” he said quietly, ”until you know the reason for our actions.” Then he continued, ”I don't think you have any cause to complain at what I've done for you, Dawson. I think I've been worth my eight dollars a week.”

”Of course you have. Forgive me.”

”Here's the idea,” he resumed. ”The hardware stores of the country are at last waking up to the fact that automobile accessories are logically a department of the hardware store. We feel, however, that the garage itself is a logical department of the hardware store. The hardware store in the past has lost several lines which ought to belong to it. Look at the number of hardware lines the drug stores sell, and the department stores also. If the hardware stores had been on the job it would have been impossible to have bought a bicycle anywhere than at a hardware store.

”Now, we have to admit that, of late, the hardware repair shop has not been a flouris.h.i.+ng, profitable department. In fact, many hardware stores have eliminated it, sending outside such odd jobs as must be done. We believed--in fact, we still believe, that the hardware store of the town should also be the leading garage of the town, and that the garage is the natural development of the tin shop. Many hardware stores are selling gasoline, and, as you know, automobile accessories are becoming quite common in a hardware store.

”If we had a garage adjacent to our hardware store,” he continued, ”we could not only supply a man with accessories, but attach them to his car. If a man has a breakdown, we are in a position to repair his car, and then exercise our selling ability to sell him accessories.

”Just look at the average garage! Did you ever know of a garage man who made a display of accessories? If the present garagemen were on to the job they could put the hardware man out of business, so far as accessories are concerned.” Here Charlie paused for a minute, and then added: ”Except, perhaps, in the larger cities.

”As you know, my dad has quite a little money, and he is willing to set me up in business. Fred Barlow's dad has a little money, also.”

I smiled at this, because it was known all over town that old man Barlow was one of our wealthiest citizens.

”Fred and I and our dads,” he continued, ”have formed a little corporation under the t.i.tle of Martin & Barlow. What we plan to do is to operate a chain of garages in connection with the best hardware store in each town. We are going to run a garage in Farmdale here, in that place exactly opposite Barlow's store. We are also going to have a display window in the garage where accessories will be shown. The hardware store will also contain a big display of accessories, which will be under our control. We are going to pay Mr. Barlow a small sum for rent of s.p.a.ce in his store. Fred or I will be in charge of that to begin with.

”We have a man coming from the Michigan Car Company to look after the garage. We will also have the exclusive agency for this territory for the Michigan car. That is how it will work out,” he continued, after a moment's pause.

”We shall train one of Barlow's clerks to look after the accessories department in the store. We shall then have our own man who will go around selling cars in this locality. We shall also have a man in the garage who understands repairs of all kinds, and particularly the Michigan car, for which he shall carry a complete line of parts.”

”Will that pay Barlow?” I asked.

”Yes, for in return for his providing a salesman for the accessories department, we will give him a percentage of the profits from that department, besides guaranteeing him a small sum for rent every month.

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