From New York

May 23

Carl Robert Keyes Daily Advert Update , , , , ,

What was advertised in a colonial American newspaper 250 years ago today?

Newport Mercury (May 23, 1774).

“MATHER is determined to stay but a very short time.”

A new purveyor of goods arrived in Newport in the spring of 1774, but he did not have plans to remain in Rhode Island for long, at least not according to the advertisement he placed in the May 23 edition of the Newport Mercury.  James Mather “from NEW-YORK” introduced himself to the public with an announcement that he occupied “the shop belonging to Mr. GEORGE GARDNER, near the foot of the parade.”  Presumably, many readers were familiar with the location and the proprietor if not the entrepreneur who now did business in that space.

Mather offered his wares “Wholesale and Retail,” giving an extensive list of items in stock at his shop.  He carried “a large assortment of calicoes, chintses, and cottons,” “men’s and women’s silk stockings and gloves,” “a neat assortment of silks and satins for gowns, cloaks and bonnets,” and “a neat assortment of japanned and hard wares.”  Yet his newspaper advertisement could not contain the variety of merchandise he had on hand.  Mather exclaimed that he had “many other articles too tedious to mention.”  Prospective customers could depend on an array of choices when they visited the shop “near the foot of the parade.”

They could also expect bargain prices.  Mather declared that he set prices “as cheap as can be had in New-York,” suggesting that competition in the larger port yielded deals for consumers and retailers who bought to sell again.  Being “from NEW-YORK,” Mather had firsthand knowledge of the prices there.  He made them available in Newport, but for a limited time only.  He recommended that “those who are inclined to purchase any of the above articles” should “apply soon” because he “is determined to stay but a very short time.”  Shop soon or miss out, he warned.  It was not the first time that Mather deployed this strategy for moving merchandise.  The previous fall he undertook a similar enterprise in Providence, renting space near a familiar landmark and promoting prices “as cheap as can be bought in New-York.” Mather apparently found it more lucrative to pursue short-term endeavors in smaller ports than maintain a permanent location in New York.

October 2

Carl Robert Keyes Daily Advert Update , , , ,

What was advertised in a colonial American newspaper 250 years ago today?

Providence Gazette (October 2, 1773).

“A Number of other Articles, which will be sold as cheap as can be bought in New-York.”

James Mather, “From New-York,” took to the pages of the Providence Gazette in October 1773 to inform residents of the town and the surrounding area that he “HAS opened a cheap Shop” where he sold a variety of goods at low prices.  To entice prospective customers, the shopkeeper listed many of the items that he stocked, including “large and small Damask Tablecloths,” “Gauze Aprons and Handkerchiefs,” and “Breeches Patterns.”  To underscore the choices that he made available to consumers, Mather included several “assortments” as he cataloged his wares, including “a neat Assortment of japanned and hard Wares,” “a choice Assortment of the newest fashioned printed Cottons, Calicoes and Chintz,” “a neat Assortment of flowered, striped and plain Scotch Lawn for Aprons,” and “an Assortment of Jewellery.”  In addition, his inventory included “a Number of other Articles.”

Mather also emphasized price as he promoted his “cheap Shop.”  Like other retailers, he used the word “cheap” to mean inexpensive rather than as an indication of inferior quality.  Advertisers expected “cheap” would resonate positively with prospective customers instead of signaling to them that bargain prices came at the expense of quality.  Mather concluded his list of goods with a declaration that he would sell them “as cheap as can be bought in New-York,” provided that purchasers paid in cash.  When he described himself as “From New-York” he established his credibility for making such a claim about his prices.  Why did the shopkeeper expect that references to prices in New York would get the attention of consumers in Providence?  Even though the town was a busy port in its own right, many more vessels visited New York, transporting goods from England to the colonies.  More imported goods in the marketplace often meant lower prices, in part because of the number of merchants and shopkeepers who had negotiated for good deals from their suppliers.  In addition, merchants in New York received goods from England and then distributed them to retailers near and far.  Such was the case with other major ports, including Boston, Charleston, and Philadelphia.  Consumers sometimes expected to find lower prices in those urban centers, yet Mather and other retailers frequently sought to disabuse them of that notion with promises of setting the same low prices without the inconvenience of traveling or sending away for goods.