The record-union., 1896-03-29

Something at $2?" says the girl
opening a box.
You advertised gloves at 80 cents:
show me those, please
"They are all sold," says the girl.
Indeed. Well, 1 only came for
pair, because I thought them such a
bargain.''
Just fake sale,'' Miss M. reports
cn her return. "All sold before II
o'clock. They never had them at ALL
'I thought that firm was above such
devices for attracting trade
| 1t may be that Miss M. finds a pair
Of the S9-cent gloves and finds them
other than represented, not of kid and
| inferior; in this case she secures pair
and the rival firm examines them at
| leisure.
1t is the same with velvets, wraps,
| silverware, jewelry, carpets, laces and
| indiscriminate articles; with anything
| that constitutes an important item in
| merchandise.
How much does a professional shop
per of this description make a week %
an authority was asked.
"The salary depends upon the abil-
| ity and tact of the employe; $25 a
week would be paid to a woman who
| Understood her businessmen 500 If
| the woman had social prestige, and
commanding presence sufficient to in
sure her unusual attention at the hands
| of the clerks and initiation into the
| business moves of the firm. A person
| so situated in life as to evade suspi-
| cion as to her real employment is of
| infinitely more value to her employers
| than one who would seem to need
money; the rich woman would be shown
everything, the poor one would be ig-
nored."
The common custom is to employ the
most tactful and able women in the
| various departments to make these
| little expeditions into the realm of
prices, qualities, etc. These women, of
course, are paid extra money for their
| services Nobody would send a sales
woman from the suit department to
| look into the matter of silverware or
| laces or ribbons, and nobody would
dream of employing person in the rib
| bon department to see how carpets or
| furs were going. Except in rare in
stances it is found best to employ people
already identified with the house, those
who could have no incentive for repre-
senting things other than as they are.
Occasionally however, firm gets hold
of a treasure in the guise of womanhood
| who has what they call a nose for
| scenting the movements of rival houses,
| and who thoroughly enjoys the work.
| Tact is not the only attribute required
Many women possess innate tact to
degree to whom anything like the SEM
| blance Of double dealing would be i'm
| possible. In a certain city there is a
woman of society who augments her
| slender resources considerably by keep
ing track of the various trade move
ments in the reputable stores. She has
| done this for years. These stores have
no special sales" but it is desirable
| to know how they are selling their
goods.
| A woman who has always lived and
dressed extensively, and who has as
sociated with people who live sumptu-
ously is a better judge of fine raiment
| and house decoration than the best
trained expert. Her ideas and interests
have centered in such things all her
| life. She is the woman who loves to
shop, loves to see and examine pretty
| tnlngs and to fancy she is making them
her own. She is plentifully supplied
| with money by the firm and the clerks
in the store from whom she makes her
| purchases never go to her house to note
that the things so lavishly bought do
not remain there
| well-trained professional will know
| by instinct almost when there is to be
| change made in the membership of a
| firm. She finds out what circulars they
are going to send out and what those
circulars will set forth She has such
opportunities well at hand when. in the
guise of shopping for large consti-
tuency. the firms from which she buys
pay her commission on the sales. thus
coming in closer contact with her than
they would under ordinary circum-
stances. Professional shoppers. fit
ting from store to store, are as neces
sary to lively competition and the back
bone of trade as the drummer. the
| buyer or the salespeople themselves
New York Tribune.
|