COUPON SYSTEM

Hawera Star, Volume L, 28 November 1930, Page 7

COUPON SYSTEM

STRONG PROTESTS INTERIFERENCE RESENTED j Conclenmaitioni of tlio coupon- or prize- ; giving- system as- illicit trading which should (be stopped) alt t-he- earliest possible moimtent, was expressed by lington business men who were interviewed by the "Dominion.” "AVe havei been/ fighting- this iniquity for some tim'e past, said Mr H. S. Hislovt. m'anager of the ‘Wellington branch of 'Stewart, Dawson, and ‘Co... who is president of the New ZealandJewellers ’ Association. "Reputable firnite give their customers discounts in the value of their goods.- No one would object to any firm giving discounts or prizes' but of their own stocks, but it is- time to protest when firms 1 interfere with trade by giving away -goods by the sale of which other traders make their living. ‘"Take the prizes which are at present being given by certain tobacco limns, for -instance. I know for a fact that a certain tobacco firm retoehjtly imported! 2000 Watches into, Wellington. How would the tobacco people like it if the jewellers' were to- give away thousands of packets of cigarettes -each year as dial count to their customers? The. whofe. system of prize-giving is- unethical, as the public has to pay dearly for these so-'ealled gifts.” REDEMPTION OP COUPONS "Why 'should a third party be allowed to come along and interfere between trader and .customer? ” asked Mr M. M. Heineman-n, chairman of the Retailers ’ Committee of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. "The company which issuers the coupons receives' spot cash, for them and does not take any risk. It is safe to say that 25 per cent, of tlie coupons will never be redeemed'. One bait held out :by a coupon comtpany is the offer of the free gift, of a motor car to the person redeeming the largest number of coupons during Deceinber. 1931. Many things can happen before the end of next year. ’ ’ "It is a, pity that each town has not a tradesmen ’,s association shell as exists in Hastings. When a coupon company's agents arrived in the Hajwke ’« Bay town, a meeting of the, Tradesmen ’s Association was immediately summoned, at which it was- unaimous--ly -decided 1 to have nothing- whatever to do with the system. The result has been that not one solitary coupon has cireulat'ed in • Hastings., It is a pity .that some su'ch association docs not exist- in Wellington to which small shopkeepers could [apply! for advice in matters, of this land.” "ILUGOrT TRADING. ’ ’ "When the coupon system was- introduced, I at once saw that it was illicit trading, ’ ’ Said Mr J. Myers, one of the principals! of J. .Myers and Go., "and I drew the attention of the, council of the Wellington 1 Chamber of .Commerce to this nrenaice to legitimate trading. I took the trouble to- find out who constituted one firm and discovered that the company consisted of two persons, and the entire capital of the company was £2500. ‘The whole system is wrong, and would not be tolerated if the pUbli'c only knew what it was really 'costing them.” HARD ON SMALL. ‘SHOPKEEPERS * ‘ The coupon system is l particularly hard on small shopkeepers in flic sub- ] mbs, ’ ’ remarked: a director of another , -wholesale, and retail firm in the city. "To give a case in point.: The agent of a- couponf company re.c(ently approached a butcher in a Wellington suburb, but this butcher told him lie could not afford! to- make his customers a present of 21 per cent., as he was now giving them full discounts in quality and prices. 'The coupon agent simply went across' the street, and' sold coupons to the -butcher’s com'petitor. The result was that- the first butcher’s business was ruined. It will thus bo ..ecu that, small shopkeepers are forced to buy the coupons in self-defence.”