_ -106-. NEW SHOPPING PRACTICES

For many years, the neighborhood stores supplied the everyday essentials of housekeeping; major needs were filled by the Charlottetown drygoods, hardware, and farm equipment retailers. For a time, New Haven had a thriving co-operative club through which members were able to purchase groceries and a few other commodities at considerably less than current store prices. For some reason, however,. this enterprise did not continue beyond four or five years, The old club hall that stood across the road from MacMillen's store was later sold and removed from the site.

Somewhere in the early 1900's, country people became aware of the benefits to be derived from dealing Girectly with mainland mail-order houses. After a few experimental orders had been satisfactorily filled, the practice became general. The T. Eaton Company of Winnipeg, a pioneer in this type of merchandising, prepaid freight or express charges on all orders in the amount of Fifty Dollars and over. Their service was. prompt and highly efficient. Neighbors formed katon Clubs, and pooled their orders to take advantage of the free delivery provision; the goods were shipped in the name of a desigmated club member. Later, The Robert Simpson Company of Toronto, and an Island house, the R. T. Holman Company of Summerside, entered the mail order field. I remember the excitement with which we youngsters pored over their catalogs, especially the Christmas issues, with their fascinating displays of toys and juvenile accessories.

This mail-order traffic was strongly opposed by the established city retail outlets; repeated attempts were made to stop or }Jimit it by | legislative action, but without success. There could be no debating the obvious facts. The mail-order people supplied goods of top quality at

substantially lower prices than did the home town merchants -- a truth

which the canny, price-conscious Island shopper quickly recognized.

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