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Show HAT'S THE MATTER WITH THE RETAILER? ROGER BABSON PROPOSES A CONSTRUCTIVE PROGRAM BtELLESI.EY HIU.S. Ma Ocl SB'-Any reduction in the e OEt & muMi i.onc llnough bett' r rlixtrl-Btlon rlixtrl-Btlon roller than i hfapcr proehic-ion proehic-ion lavs I :.' i W Babson in dis-iBsaln? dis-iBsaln? Hi business outlook. SHi B8 ing tin pi-nnli s an.) "ri ir. oiKh our fingers. Til jBcla s of every niann far I urine corn Boy In the country arc hunting fran-M4y fran-M4y for nW wavs to i 11 dbwil Mi.' Kjt i tlon riii-v Wo awake- Kb's ciir a fi'v rents an houi oil Br. or an extra dollar or tw oi Eton "i any ot her Kich may affect the cost of making Kb product Once the goods ar hd and out of the factory their Brt cease The lob ot getting the Bod : to hf ' ' riiat i. onsnrn. r be-mgp be-mgp to Homoonp e sr W pnom ti Mt( .m ssi s B''i of us have become so en-j men- '" ot uttlftg Kvn 1 ' production tin' v Kv,. .list riPui ion take care of It-JB. It-JB. We ha 4,ie-J miUlona at the' hui t e arc losing mi! I ions rr Be st'icc; Ir, the- past '.'i years ih". Kj04,nt nf .'..mI- produced in tn tlm- c t1.' n"ii l'cr of work- J Bp D' ' 1 '"'TV to produe-e thus. gOOdfl B- and . Bi f in i t n a l OWihg tO jHr machinery and bettei methods, r a ibll l" rn : 1 1 o 1 1 foui tlmee aa much Bod" i i iciit 1 ours as ih- worker TEycm- ago did in 10 or 1 lov. :'. ir 11 sl Ol the nla chll Kci. et and even then you find e 0 eragi unit producing cost to- By If of what it used I ii i i have Bnd rfio pi ogr- s us.- na ' Ben most of our thought and effort Brurn in distribution and we find1 B sui i progress in fact the p-p-' Bitocr 1 -' disi riiuitlon probabi) Ba not bee n reduced . ' V, 11 i Blc' the prod'Ption i.er v ilku Euitl expect ' Byv .i'iI t a ic an much Bods nn II u-c-l t.. Ir ilisi i ibul : in Bd l,r-' n pi- . la pror Bctimi. a iii'.'- iu'. s ..uM buy four me.-, ns much as it did 50 yeara atr" K ai: know thai no i Ba taken pi . . n I il la de-Eta de-Eta Li- Sca en half again as Bed to DlTnilU lln si STILL. "This -I"- i--' .n.-an that the lie- . i i i or t h k Be hogging In .It: 111 a laigc -tent that ': h,i - m IlilBreloped our 1asf,s s,, n li, c, HEost ior hui nimi' : H i.icani Re lave no - . J i I i- Bd nihil distributors to roast efii-Bsi efii-Bsi !') handling merchan-uc. merchan-uc. n si i 1 1 no fori k Be progress in i) isl nbuting Bods Us wi- have In their actual pro- BBcta.n B "T' 1. l ' ef- 1 rts to building b i Bttlnp a greater uiltpul i .ill la-to la-to putting MP'W have .In I.- t-ry little tOWS Bp eu u.-i : Important prublera oj jet- Inr those goods lo the lltimatt i i I 5)iner. The government is Spending Mut $ loo.ooo on, i ,, , ar ni research Fhelp the manufactdrers and farm-I farm-I a. but it has never i cen taken a psua of the r.taX'is Iluiuii'ds ,,f kn .'ire empa.v .1 i . ' u; info- -( ition on tic ii ,.;,s 1 1 on. I . e ( spc : inn nting in cheml n trch for means oi fighting d blights whl h destn and I Rructlng Ho- farmer in 1 1,, n- us.-. "Slmlin r v. ork is being done for ie man ufact ure-r to help him find 3 rrr of ll,'"'nt methods of production. Icom pi '. census ol manufacturers Etaken c "i v iie ,.;i r.s. which shows i numb, r oi iirm- In each Industry, elr prodin I ion costs and B fese things. B they v. orth it The; rg- for the fact thai V) b United States .-an. Is head and lOU'd'-is al I tno - ; i' n ncj ol its pi odut tlon t there a ny i . s.,;i w v. , shOU BB upend at leas) is mu h to I dp e retail distributor on whom we 1 B depend to get t hos goods to ' HELP Til l IILER r'S.i ai n i i , .... I I to point t tin- growth ol lain Rt ore and ... onera ' - n n BVeui-nl"! as indicating th. Bhort-I Bhort-I mrilugs ..f i nc indr id ual 1 3 I all g- t behind Die. ieia) er and J Hp htm. if his methods are wrong BTs our misfortune and II it B B rest of us to show him a better i iy He- se! s at. least v.', pe., H Be i ' th ma men goods bought in e ' , : amnion Mores in tiie country repri latins an investment bl liona il illnrs. in short, the lr i o.l is our main and - it a I ar - WT of dlst i il.ni ion. i 'Man . p IlioughtlessU . D- lea-- ' Ivldual -retaile'i m ' ham , Ria tion laki :. Idles i hf pi oblera, howi ll" tin shortsightedness of such a an . i hain stoi ind I koperati- asSC, ia' ion re a rh JBaniat Ion i monopoly Ibulion? - - B I.VK fiKO V LAZI "Then there is another phase of the ; retail situation for which you and ' I as consumers are to blame thi ! truth is we liave grown lazy. We LWattl our goods brought to the dOOr, I i we want to run charge accounts, we 'want to have wide variety of styles J and grades of goods to pick from. I When our wies select a pair of shoes I they insist upon having twenty d If-1 , ferent lasts to choose from. When we buy sugar we prefer to have It come, I in a pasteboarel box of the particular) size which best suits our fancy; and j no on throughout the line. But these, things cost money. They are nice but are they essential? If we knew we could get good shoes for 25 per cent less, would we not be willing to I do with a smaller variety to choose from-.' Certainly we should not' grumble over the high cost nf li - ! ing, while we continually demand' service Which Is increasing the cost' ut the things we buv. 1 1 .i s ( oMjE ;k di m i t "The elay is coming when this prob'em of distribution will be worked out. Just as the dexelop-menl dexelop-menl of our producing machinery has taken years, so the development of the best distributing methods must take years to complete. Such changes Cpme about gradually. Right now, however, there are three things we an do to help solve the problem an i cut down retail price. 1 Urge the government to extl nd its services to the retail field so that the retailer can have the same statistical statis-tical information and the same assistance assist-ance from scientific research as the producer now e-njoys (2) When buying, select popular grHdes of goods and avoid freakish itylee. Encourage simplification of' merchandise. Pay cash for your roods and If possible carry them home rourself, Don't insist upon ridlcu-ous ridlcu-ous exchange privileges. 3) Select one good retail stove ivhlch will give you reliable service1 Uld stick lo it By this I mean take me grocery store, one meat market, One clothing ntnrn. etc. As long as th ittnre. you hav selected gives you good ifrv Ice stay with It and boost It. If consumers will follow this ooi-ley ooi-ley they will automatically build up 'i, ,i . ' -H ), .- stores and eliminate 'tie Inferior retailer who now are sustained sus-tained only by a rurdfii, transient trade IKY BOOSTING. "I know that many people are saying say-ing hard things about the retailer just now. Much of the criticism, however, comes from thoee who do not understand the facts. Many re-taller re-taller have been short-sighted In this period of readjustment. They ha'e hesitated to take losses in order to keep pace with lower replacement costs. We" however, only do ourselves our-selves injury by careless and destructive destruc-tive criticism. "The retailer has had tremendous problems not the least of v.'hieh have been the knocks we hae given him. Most retailers are stumbling along.; dotd l.v the rapid changes in con-, ditions and blindly fearful of what Die next season will bring forth. At I present, wc are on the very eve Of , a general business improvement, but Ihe retailer is not in a mental attitude atti-tude to prepare for it. He should be going into the fall business llko ! a fighting cock, but instead bis attl- tude is fearful and defensive. H- i .should be laying in a lrge stock of goods lo meet the increased demand and guard against a shortage late-,-this fall 1 Is up to us to get behind be-hind him and encourage ilm. Let us cense destructive criticism and turn OUT fforts toward building up the retailers who are giving us the most efficient service. Quit roasting and try boosting!'' |