John D. Larkin- Table of Contents
Larkin Company Merchandising
TEXT Beneath Illustrations
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Sweet Home laundry soap |
Sweet Home laundry soap |
Sweet Home laundry soap |
Sweet Home laundry soap |
"Oatmeal" toilet soap advertising |
Boraxine soap powder chromo card |
Boraxine soap powder chromo cards |
1909-10 catalog |
Premium certificate |
Coupons |
India Seat |
Quarter sawn oak pedestal |
Pitcher, Deldare Ware, Fallowfield Hunt |
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Source: Digger
Odell Bottle |
Salt cellars |
Meat grinder |
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See also: 2002 Larkin Premium Exposition |
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Larkin coffee |
Deldare china |
In 1875, Mr. Larkin e and his wife moved to Buffalo and John set up his factory: "J. D. Larkin, manufacturer of Plain and Fancy Soaps," at 196-198 Chicago Street. His only product was a yellow laundry bar named Sweet Home Soap. The business grew so quickly that in 1877 Larkin bought two lots on Seneca Street and built the first of many factories there. By 1878, the company produced nine different soap products, ranging from "Boraxine" soap powder through a variety of laundry soaps to "Jet" harness soap, "Oatmeal" toilet soap and Glycerine.
Larkin's first salesman was his wife's brother, Elbert ("Bert") G. Hubbard, who had been working as a salesman for J. Weller & Co. in Chicago. Bert decided to follow his sister and brother-in-law (eleven years older than he) to Buffalo and work for John as a salesman.
Bert pioneered the idea of mail-order merchandising. The idea was hugely successful. By offering premiums and bonuses in return for sales, the company was able to dispense with a sales force. In offering premiums to stimulate sales, the company needed a variety of premiums, and it was more profitable to produce them in-house. Buffalo Pottery, precursor to Buffalo China, was founded in this way.
Another merchandising technique was to promote "secretaries" who were organizers of clubs of ten Larkin customers. Secretaries were given $5 or $1 certificates, as well as smaller coupons as compensation for their efforts. These, of course, could be exchanged for other premiums or products. The secretaries who were sales contests winners were brought to Buffalo and given the opportunity to win more prizes.