| Show chain store head explains need of community spirit the quick return of national prosperity is in the hands of the retail merchants of the country declared J C penney founder and an d chairman of the board of the J C penney co before the members of the national chain store association in chicago tuesday at their annual convention he also stated that the successful retail merchant of the future would be a leader in comm community unit ai affairs lairs serving as a community minded citizen in his talk mr penney said in our organization we have kept close track of the activities of our store managers in local affairs results of a recent investigation show that out of 1396 managers who received questionnaires 1307 were active members of local organizations maintaining 2030 memberships 57 store associates were also members of local business and civic clubs managers were on committees or held office in the clubs to which they belonged it i is s characteristic oi of E the american people that they are keenly sensitive to local activities we are a race of joiners and we aie community minded rotary kiwanis community chest chamber of commerce these these are all far more than words in in the minds of the american people they stand for national traits which cannot be discounted the duties of chain stores as citizens of the communities in I 1 which they operate are rather clearly defined benned past experience in in our own business has definitely proved to me that no business can reach to its highest development in any locality unless it is com minded the man who insists that he must run his business purely as a mechanical moneymaking money making machine entirely without begard for the fact that he be is accepted as a part of the community is and probably justifiably so likely to be looked upon with suspicion by the community it has been stated innumerable times imes by editorial writers by business writers and by students of business economics that the coming of a chain store to a town is an indication that that particular town is a good one in which to 0 o do business other statements have been made that once chain stores get established in a town the trading area of that town expands and there is more business for every merchant in it if these opinions are true and I 1 see no reason in good business judgment to discount them the chain store fulfills one definite obligation in citizenship when ir it selects a location it the stamp of business approval on that location and on the ti ae future of the trading area in which it is located |
