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Na m e : ___ Date: _
Directions: Read the story. Then write a brief summary of the story on the lines below.Reading Comprehension • Saddleback Educational Publishing ©2002 3 Watson, Irvine, CA 92618•Phone (888)SDL-BACK•www.sdlback.com
Everyone Loves a Bargain
In today’s world it seems that everywhere we turn we see advertising—appeals for us
to buy something—on TV, radio, billboards, signs, mailings, newspapers, and now the
Internet. We are enticed to buy not only the things we need, but also things we didn’t
even know existed.
Do you ever wonder how people got the things they wanted or needed before all the
marketing tools we have now were available? The answer is often they didn’t. There
were stores, but the owners bought small quantities of goods from traveling
merchants. They made a guess at what their customers might want and put the
merchandise in their stores. There was no enticement to draw customers in.
About 100 years ago, a shrewd businessman named
Frank Woolworth had several odds and ends in his
store that hadn’t sold. He set up a table and marked it
“Any Article on this table–5¢.” In no time all, the
“unwanted” merchandise was gone. Woolworth
discovered that people love a bargain! He knew if he
purchased large quantities of items he could get a
lower price, then sell the items at a “bargain” to the
customer. He established the very successful
Woolworth’s chain of stores and paved the way for
today’s department and discount stores.Summary: __