COLLECTIVE ADVERTISING

Otago Witness, Issue 4048, 13 October 1931, Page 28

COLLECTIVE ADVERTISING

ADDRESS TO GROCERS MR H. BARKER’S OUTLINE. (From Ole Own Correspondent.) LONDON, September 4. Mr Heaton Barker, secretary to the New Zealand Grocers’ and Bakers’ Associations, was the guest of the Wigan Grocers’ Association a few days ago, when he delivered an interesting * address on New Zealand business methods and trade topics. Mr Barker said that the New Zealand Federation had been successful in getting a Minister of the Crown, generally the Minister of Industries and Commerce, to attend almost every annual conference, and this had proved a very successful means of their being able to obtain the ear of the Government Minister concerned in trade matters when occasion had required it. When he bad heard the question asked, “ What has the association done? ” he had answered it by asking another: “ Where would the trade have been had it not been for the associations? ” He was convinced that individual grocers would have to get closer together end take action in such matters as collective advertising, which had been very largely adopted by many associations in America and Canada. Mr Barker described the methods of combined buying which had been put into operation by Foodstuffs, Ltd., in New ZeaV.nd. and said the trade mark was indicative of the goods sold under it, and Foodstuffs, Ltd., was able now to have products packed under its own trade mark of “ Four-Square.” There was a tendency to complain of bad trade, but he believed that it was in times of depression that they all required to put forth a little extra effort. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded (he New Zealander.