Show CHAIN STORES MENACE ENACE SEEN SEEN Retail Merchants I Unite to Compete Is Advice CHICAGO FebRy Feb City 2 2 Ry By The Associated A Prese-A Pres A warning that they are in danger dancer of having their business virtually wiped out In lisa tl near future futuro by hugo nation nation- nationwide nationwide wide chain store flora ms and a aplan aplan aplan plan for tor es that fate rale fat was i given n to store owners owner anti and executives of retail stores large and small mall from from all parts paris of the I country here herc Tuesday Edward A A Filene Boston do- do de department Store tor owner issued the warning In an address before the J Interstate tate Merchants Merchant council which o opened ened Its eleventh th semi semi- semiannual semiannual semiannual annual convention Merchants representing every line Q of retail business s were present All face ace the same tame danger dang from front the th com corn competition competition petition of the tho chain systems un- un un unless le less leas through a operative co or or- or or of their own they fore fore- forestall forestall fore stall it Mr Fileno said ld l The chain store tore movement Is going g forward by loops leaps and bounds Mr IlIene declared Un tin til now a 0 good food oo part of ot the tho coun- coun country's coun country try try's business lees has been done by small lI retail stores buying In small Quantities often otten paying three or four tour profits to intermediaries Intermediaries aries They are aro now slow In direct competition with the tho th chain stores wha tell Sell enormous volumes of goods which they either produce themselves or buy direct front from pro pro- producers duers and sell ell under standard Izod Irod methods method The business of the time largest casin systems now amounts to 10 more than a II billion dollars dollar a II year ear And now there Is under way an nn an- an another another other and stronger competition namely that of ot chains of ot depart department ment stores store This movement Is only at Its lis very beginning The Tho department store chain will have havethe havethe havethe the same advantage over oer the Indi Indi- Individual Individual vidual department store ator and the th small store chain that the single department store tor ha has over the In Individual In- In store For instance all the shoo shoe de- de de department will be operated by a achain achain achain chain of shoe ahoe stores No single department storo or single chain will be b able In the long run to stand sll d up against this class of organization The chain will be beable beable bable able to sell ell cheaper buy In larger quantities and help manufacturers waste This means o of ot course coure that chain will wilt determine d the fate fato of the small stores as well woJ as the department stores store The Thee Individual small store tore own own- owner er Cr can meet and antI beat the tho chain competition The rho small stores must unite for their own n advantage tage They can do this by form forming ing chains themselves retaining their Individual ownership by unit unit- unitIng uniting Ine Ing so that they will Ill get all ali advantages of mas buying they must dc do dt it 1 they would woul escape the fate fato of the individual l grocery store drug druc stores elores and to- to tobacco tobacco to tobacco bacco |