20
THE MODEL STOCK PLAN
shifted accordingly. The same basic rule should, however,
be observed: that there should be no continuous over-
emphasis of bargains. In fact, the best advertising of a
basement store is, as is true of full-line advertising, institu-
tional advertising illustrated by the day’s new bargains. I
have always believed that the most effective advertising
appeal ever developed in the Filene Automatic Bargain
Basement was essentially, “walk through the basement
daily,” and a statement of the automatic methods by which
automatically and surely all basement prices are made
bargain prices.
So far in this chapter we have been considering basement
stores along reasonably conventional lines. The automatic
bargain basement is a special, highly different form of base-
ment store which has met with extraordinary success. The
automatic basement was first developed at the Filene store
in Boston. It has, I believe, attracted more attention, has
been the cause of more inquiries and visits of inspection,
and the subject of more articles in business publications
than any other single activity entered into by a single
department store. To meet these inquiries, in fact, at the
height of the general interest, we were forced in self-defense
to make up a booklet describing the plan. This booklet
we kept on hand, in English and German, to send out to
inquirers. Sending the booklet was cheaper and easier for
us, and probably more satisfactory to the inquirer, than
handling these inquiries by individual letters.
While the automatic bargain basement has had a great
deal of publicity, it is so important to the subject under
discussion that it requires at least a brief explanation here.
Moreover, during the years of experience with it—the plan
was first used on Jan. 4, 1gog—there have come facts which
earlier were not available.
In the first place, a plan was developed. The method of
operation is simple enough. Every piece of merchandise
offered has distinctly marked on it the date on which it is
put on sale. It has to be sold within 30 selling days. Other-
wise it is given away. It is marked at a bargain price to
