Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-04-23


gives large order for it,; if id doubt,
very small one. The book buyer, for in
stance, Will not buy more than dozen
copies Of a new authors book If that
number sells quickly, she feels safe in
repeating AMI increasing the order
The selection and ordering Of gowns,
etc, take place either in the upper rooms
Of the dry goods house or il those of the
manufacturer who submits 10 tile buyer
the models be has received from that
head center and OF ginator Of modes,
Paris. But by 10 means u All accepted
that is sent.
It j. known in the French capital that
American women Will nOt blindly full
low any fashion, however popular
abroad, and tine caterers TO the Ameri-
can trade therefore submit to JUL dicta-
ton; consequently many a style sup
posed to be strictly Partisan was made
at the suggestion Of metropolitan man
ufacturers or of our women buyers.
IN addition to this method Of obtain
ing the latest modes, foreign buyer is
attached to every large dry goods house.
She goes twice yearly to Europe and
purchases whatever she thinks will
prove attractive in the American mar
ket. To woman fond Of travel and its
changes of scene the position Of foreign
buyer j. even more agreeable than that
Of the home buyer, though both are SO
enviable as to make them veritabIe
queens Of trade Their employers have
confidence in their Judgment, giving
them authority to dispose of large sums.
Their colaborers defer ID them and
tradesmen contend for their patronage.
If they mako a mistake i'll buying goods.
the loss il not theirs, but that of the
firm they represent. Moreover, their
success is achieved while they are still
young enough to enjoy its emoluments
and pleasures. But since buyers are not
born 50, how are they made: As d rule.
by evolution from the most humble con
dition in the whole business-that 0f
cashgirl at weekly pay of about 81
A very young girl will soon display
ability if possessed Of any. 1t viii be 10
less quickly recognized, encouraged and
rewarded by promotion, and 50, step by
step, slowly along the whole line Of
progression, from promotion to promo
tiOn to now one, now the other depart
ment, she advances until by The time
she reaches womanhOod sha has learned
the business from the ground up. She
thus becomes an expert saleswoman, and
may be placed il charge Of certain stock
or made assistant to a buyer, being re-
ferred to as principal ill the absence Of
her superior. She has fitted herself for
the position which she usually obtains
when q vacancy occurs through resigna
tion, sickness, death or other vicissitude
or reason for retirement Of the head en-
ployee. On new department may be
opened Of which she il made the buyer
Most ladies when shopping viii have
noticed bareheaded, half grown girls
busily matching q bunch Of samples
they are very particular in getting the
shade and texture exactly like the pat
tern, and when satisfied they order the
goods TO be 'sent up. These are the
buyers Of the future who are now in
sensibly learning that branch Of the
business. The samples are those sent at
the opening Of every season by the large
establishments to their out Of town Gus
toners, who select from the samples the
material Of which they order dresses
made up. The dressmakers' time j. too
valuable to Be wasted i'll matching
goods, so their small assistants are as
signed the TASK But ali buyers do not
graduate from the cashgill class
Many an inexperienced girl enters a /
store as a mere extra" during a h0li-
day rush, but displays such aptitude for
the occupation that she Is offered a per
manent place. Skill and experience lead
to promotion, and She, too. rises until
she may be brought very near the buy
er, into whose shoes she easily slips
when opportunity presents them for her
use.
To the buyer is due almost all the
great bargain" sales. From time to
time she goes through her stock, sorting
out certain goods which have remained. /
contrary 10 expectation, rather long Oh
hand. These are placed on the bargain
tables, marked down to half what they
cost
A firm Of merchants contemplating
the purchase IF il bankrupt stock usually
send their buyers I'd look over it in bulk /
and value it, Sometimes the sale is ef-
fected without this by the respective
lawyers Of the contracting parties. The
stock when delivered is distributed
among the Yarious departments to which
it belongs, lhe buyers fixing the prices,
often much below the actual value Of
the articles The object is not so much
to make money Oh the bankrupt stock /
itself as by the advertisement to attract I
an extraordinary crowd TO the store.
once inside Of which a woman il likely
TO make an her purchases there. To give 1
a shopper no excuse for leaving the /.
premises is the reason why lunch coun-
ters and restaurants were introduced in
to many Of our immense dry goods I
houses. Shrewd appreciation Of the ma
ture Of feminine humanity has proved a
source Of large revenue to enterprising /
merchants dealing with women
CELIA LOGAN