Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-02-19
COUPONS FOR GROCERIES.
A New System of Trading Which is Said
to Promote Economy.

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A New System of Trading Which is said
to Promote Economy.
A mode of doing business, which has
been in vogue for some months in small
grocers in tenemcnt-house n%eighbor-
hoods, and, as an experiment, with
or two houses, has been put in opera
ton by a large number of Third and
Sixth avenue houses, which have hither-
to worked out the book system. The
idea is to avoid trouble Of formal books
or mountaineering with regular Gus
toner's; while, at the same time, the
customer, if so inclined, may keep per-
fectly informed of the expenditures of
the family from day to day, and week to
week. Indeed, with ordinary attention
to detail, he can not shirk knowing the
exact amount absorbed in table ex-
penses. The system is known rs the
coupon system, and may be conducted
on the basis of ready cash, OF a month
or six months credit according to pre-
vious arrangement. A somewhat SINH
lar system has long been in practice
among restaurants and eating-houses
in various quarters of the city; a small
discount or communication being allowed
to the buyers of one or five dollars
worth of coupons, according to
the rating of the restaurant.
The system, as adapted to
the grocery business, differs in many
particulars from that in use among res
t%aurants, but is based upon the same es-
sential principles. At the beginning of
the week, or of the month, as the case
may be, or the receipt of his income
may dictate, the customer buys for cash
or on credit as many packages of cou-
pons as the needs of the family require,
or the economical administration of his
pecuniary will allow, the deal
er crediting or charging his customer
with SO many dollars i'll coupons, ac-
cording as the transaction is a cash or
credit one. The coupons are done upin
packages of one, five OF ten dollars, ac-
cording to the requirements of the trade
or the quarter of the city in which the
business is located, the dollar packages
containing ten coupons of ten cents
each; the five dollar, ten of fifty cents
each, and the ten dollar. twenty of fifty
cents, or ten of one dollar each, accord
ing to the customers preference. Each
coupon bears on the front the name and
number of the grocer who issues it, and
on the diverse the amount it represents,
with the stipulation of redeemable for
cash at the holders option.
In settling his daily or week
ly orders for groceries the Gus
IN - ~ ,,cac f2,noo o0Y,r,onc oc1 In ,,,or
thus keep an accurate record of expendi-
lures without resorting to memoranda.
For a small establishment, say the Gus
toner buys on the first of the month
fifty dollars worth of coupons, and
these are distributed as the daily ex-
penses require. By glancing at the
amount in coupons left at the expira-
ton of the first or second week, he is
able to estimate the exact rate Of his
current expenditures, and thus to avoid
the presentation at the end of the month
of an Unexpectedly large grocer's bill.
Said a large grocer. whose business
lies principally with the wealthy old
families on and about Second avenue,
speaking of the coupon system: 81
have been doing business on that plan
for the last six months, and my best Gus
toners prefer it to the old plan of book
accounts and bills rendered monthly.
Indeed, it was at the suggestion, and
with the concurrence of many of my
heaviest customers, that I adopted
the system; and large h~ouseholders
have told me that it is the most Geo.
nomical that can be devised. AS to my
w business, in addition to enabling
me to keep track of my accounts with
customers, and to detect peculation on
the part Of employees, on the instant, if
they are so rash as to undertake such y
thing, the force of clerks required to
carry on the business is considerably
smaller"
''The system has been in use for the
last six months as an experiment in a
few establishments" said a large Sixth
avenue grocer, who runs eight carts and
carries on a very extensive cartdelivery
trade. "But it was not seriously con-
sidered az a system of doing business
until a recent meeting of the association
of retail dealers, when one of our heavy
men gave the results of his experience
and inquiries, and pointed out its bene-
fits to the trade. l suppose that more
IMAM half the retailers IN the city Will
adopt the system this year, for
it really pays both customer and
dealer, and SO is an advantage in all re-
spects. Of course with casual custo-
mers the old system will still be en-
ployed, and with such regular and
book customers as prefer it. But many
of the people l supply have discovered
that the coupon system saves money.
prevents eXtravagance ana enable them
fully than they have been able to govern
them with running accounts paid at the
end of the month. 1t looks formidable
to a man and wife living in a flat, and
keeping only one servant, to pay one
hundred or two hundred and fifty dol
lars for coupons at the beginning of the
month; and it is this very fact that leads
them to be careful. have no doubt