Show THE CHAIN STORE Is the resident home town merchant doomed will the chain store which has witnessed such startling growth during the past decade continue its encroachment into the field of the home merchant until it completely dominates the retail business of the country the following discussion appearing in the christian science monitor shows that the chain store Is steadily broadening its influence throughout the country and the inference Is given that if the present rate of increase Is continued it will not be long until the old time country merchant becomes a rarity statistics show that the volume of sales by the chain store organizations of the united states for the year 1927 amounted to nearly sly dollars or 16 per cent of the estimated retail business of the country this represents a per capita average of 51 more than four times that of 1921 and indicates that at the present rate of growth this system of merchandising will henceforth do a still greater part of the nations retail trade how far the advantages of the chain system will prevail against the independent small or neighborhood shops cannot easily be bortold but it seems altogether probable that in the cities and towns at least the movement toward centralization in great selling units will extend to many lines of goods not now handled by branch shop organizations As a solution of the problem of steadily increasing costs of commodity distribution despite improvements in business methods and the adoption of greater facilities for handling the retail trade the chain store Is hed out to the consumer as the most efficient form of merchandising whether the actual cost of selling goods has been lowered bv these stores does not appear to demonstrated their real adian tace lying in their ability to bev cheaber bv in immense and hv savins in frelent rates through shipments in great volume the cash payment and features of of the chain systems are also assumed to ren resort lower expenses that make saps at smaller rates of profit in a a eathor ing of in washington D C edward A ellere of boston forecast that in the near arid ba pipat systems of nationwide chains of stores in and volume of business such concerns as the united states corporation and OT general motors company with the abundance of idle capital constantly seeking investment it will doubtless be found practical to finance merchandising operations in the same way that productive industry has been consolidated bv the sale of stock and bonds to the general public if capable managers can be found and this will be the real test of the proposed departure some interesting developments may be expected |