Show U Utah ah in Role of Guinea PI Pig g gHE THE THE HE Stanford University Press has just published published published pub- pub a very interesting book entitled Merchandise Availability ity in Utah It is a technical w work rk based on a years year's project carried carried carried car- car ried on oil under l r de-r the he direction of D David E E. Faville Faville Fa- Fa ville yule professor of marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business with the assistance assistance assistance assist assist- ance of Dix M. M Jones Weber college business manager and and Richard B. B Sonne a member of the staff of Utah St State te Agricultural college Utah was was- chosen as a sort of western guinea pig for a study of avail availability of merchandise service and prices in smaller villages compared with larger towns Four Utah cities Brigham Price Richfield and Cedar City ity were chosen as the control cities with merchandise available prices and services services services ices compared with similar commodities in small villages and towns surrounding the larger communities To those concerned with economic problems problems problems lems and with pith merchandising there is much worthy of attention in this study For the layman however only a few of the findings are likely to be interest Grocery prices the surveyors found were generally higher in the rural communities than in the control cities but tie the closer loser tn se communities were to the control cities the smaller the difference thus illustrating the leveling influence of competition Drug prices were substantially higher in the small com com- Generally people in the rural communities communities communities com com- complained of high prices inadequate quate selection of clothing and dry goods poor service and overcrowding in their community community community com com- stores Th The conclusion reached on the basis of the study was that so far as as availability of merchandise went residents of small rural towns were vere at a disadvantage as compared with the their r neighbors in sized medium-sized towns townsand townsand townsand and that in addition because of higher prices charged the residents of those areas suffered a reduction in the amount mount of their incomes We dont don't know that the study has great meaning for Utah in its general findings It merely confirms a belief that the larger the city the better the selection of merchandise merchandise merchandise dise and the service and quite custom customarily rily the lower the price At any rate Utah does not suffer from this experience as a guinea pig and it is sometimes helpful to see oneself as others see us |