The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-04-22
FOOD HANDLERS.
The Men Who Supply the Daily Wants
Of Canton People,
A Defence ofa Glass OF business Men Who
Are Essential 10 Every Com
munliy-' Facts aud
Figures.

khHtuh " ultJ Wtll htuCh'u WIN It-
tall grocery atOrea, and In thls regard
she mas nothing TO complain Of. The
amount Of business transacted In the
grocery Hue In this city In therefore
something immense. Thousands OF
families have 10 bo fed, and 10 IN the pc.
cullar province Of the retail grocer 10
attend TO the daily wants OF these.
The complaint has often been made
that the retail grocer i3 an expensive
auperllully, and should be abolished,
along with all other middle men. A
DEMOCRAT reporter has been nj some
pans to gathe few facts and figures
In relation TO the business, which are
herewith presented In the shape Of q do
fence OF the retail grocer, aud are we'll
worth considering by readera of the
DEMOCRAT,
10 start with, the grocery business In
Canton II fearfully 0YerdOne; The com
petition Ia tremendous, and 10 10 a mys
terry how most OF the men engaged In
thla line OF business make both ends
meet ut the end Of the year.
Tho average profit OF the retail grocer
does not exceed 10 per cent Of which
0ne'hhlf goes 10 meet the expense OF con.
dnctlng the business, HIs net prof Ia
per cent, and on pretty large yearly
sales no will have ont VI that but q small
Income. To be sure, the articles which
no uses NJ h'8 own home he obtains NJ
Wholesale rates, and In that way saves
an amount that may bring his income
up 10 that OF good mechanic working
steadily. The mechanic has nothing In
vested In hla business, except hia skill
while the grocer has u neat sum Of mon
ey Invested aa we'll as his skill. In ad
dltiOn 10 this the grocer Ia obliged to LET
the greater part OF HIS goods 20 out
among hla customers on trust, and walt
for his money sometimes for months NJ
. time, Indeed In great many cases
he never gets his money nj all, through
many OF hl3 customers being out OF
work, and not being able TO procure any
employment for lengthy periods of time.
Sometimes we hear men OF families
say they will buy their hOuseholi sup
piles In bulk, 10 40 TO get them cheaper,
and get rid OF the necessity Of always
running 10 the gr0cofs. But the men
who do that are few and far between
Most OF them lind 10 begin with they
have not the money 10 spare They can
not afford 10 lay out hundred dollars
or more NJ once. II they can, they will
fad nexl that they have no place In
which TO keep large supply Of articles
properly, and TO put them IN an unl!
place would DO 10 have them spoil or bo
| wasted
But the obllglng grocer has made II
unnecessary 10 q 20 him when the fam.
lily wants anything, He or his salesman
goea 10 the family 70 inquire II anything
Ia wanted, aud II 30 he takes the order
and delivers H. whether IL be big or lit.
Tie, and tho distance great or snail.
Who rendors no much convenient service
NJ 40 small cost as the grOcer2 His
pr0llt on delivering bill OF goods may
be ten cents, but II the purchaser we're
TO hire an express wagon for the pur.
pose II might cost him ten times as
much,
The grocer ls u useful man, and us.
uAlly ho 10 genius In business man.
agement. One who watches the deyel-
opment OF the business OF one OF these
Rrocers has an unceaslng source OF
wonder, aud his admiration for the skill
to which this development Ia due, grows
with the yeare. B1einess tact and
shrewdneSs approach perfection In the
successful retail grocer.
From the foregoing facts II will read.
lily bo seen that the grocer does not make
such huge profits ~ some higgllng Gus
toners often imagine, aud as TO wheth.
or he Ia superil1ousor or not lot the public
try 10 got on without him.