"Then the next thing we have to consider," said Roger, "is whether or
not we are on the right side of the street. Now, you may or may not know
it, but the right side of the street is the one which has the greatest
amount of shade in the summer. You see, in the heat of the summer,
people prefer to walk in the shade, and consequently they take the shady
side of the street. In the winter, if there is any snow, it makes the
sunny side of the street sloppy, so that people still walk on the shady
side."
"H'm. Stigler's got one over me, then, because he's on the shady side of
the road."
"Yes, we reckoned that Stigler had a bit better location than you had.
But he evidently does not know it, else he wouldn't have wasted that
money opening the five-and-ten-cent store next door to you."
"He's doing a big business," I said ruefully.
"Wait till after Christmas. The Christmas season is a big time for
five-and-ten-cent stores such as his. But wait until February, and he'll
'find it's a rocky road to Dublin.'"
I certainly felt good to hear that. Roger grinned.
"Tell you, old man," he said, stretching over and putting his hand on
my knee, "I don't like Stigler, and I'd like to go for his scalp, only
my company insists that I'm here to sell goods to the people, and not to
compete with any one else. But, if the time ever comes that you can get
a bit better location than you have, do so. You see, old man, the bulk
of your people have to go to the store. You don't get a great amount of
people passing it naturally.
"Another reason we chose this location is that we are just between you
and Barlow."
"How is that any help?"
"Well, it helps in this way. Some one passing your store suddenly
remembers that she wants something--a saucepan, let us say. She has
already walked by your store and doesn't bother to turn back. A little
later on she comes to my store. I get the benefit of the suggestions
which occur to people as they pass your store."
I could hardly believe that. It sounded too much like--oh, quackery; and
I told Roger so.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account