New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-11

Zoo, iore.ome and IIght-hearted. But this over
crowding is not strange. In no other part Oh the
city has there been such large ana act'e pui'o'ns
operations encouraging anticipation OF the speedy
attainment of a dense population. as mere witn'n
the last twelve months. On this avenue are ions
lines of tall handsome fiat buildings all new Ths
side streets are lined with smaller houses generay
of marked architectural beauty, erected Tor private
residence purposes. The former. however are Gov
cred with ITO Let" placards, and the latter ase
still by hundreds II not by thousands, FOR SAFE
The grocers. dependent largely upon popu'aeo"
that has not vet arrived In a bad way
A Column bus-ave grocer said concerning the STU
alton: I'VE .ndustrously cutting each o'nes
threats. A. puts down to within traction ot
cent or even to its wholesale cost. some arucs
that he hopes may prove suficently attractive 70
draw customers away from E. c. ana u. Iney IN
turn not only have 10 drop their price on that
article to compete with A., but each makes cut
on something else. Naturally in few days. al ars
down TO the same low level on each OF the tnihss
individually selected and A. b.. C. ana ". sever
ally have added special cuts that VIII quick.
ly. in turn. become general ruling rates. NH.
costing 81. cents per quart by the can, u
sold at cents. and you can only get tn"V'
eight quarts out OF a forty-quart can-nonestiy
Flour costing 53.4 cents for 2ns-pound Bag seis
for 80 Soap. costing 81 per 100 cakes Is sofa
uniformly at { cents rake-actual COST Foe'e"
meats in small cans costing 80 cents dozen. are
sold at cents each. and one OF my customers
tells me a department store is Offering them Al ~
cents. One popular brand Of condensed mix COST
ing 6 i-3 cents A can. ~ sold for cents ana an
other costing sl3 cents sells for 10. we!l-known
brand Of catsup costs u l-3 cents bottle ana II
sold all along the at IS cents. while one
dealer over on the side offers 1t at II cents
Cocoa worth wholesale 10 cents is offered at II
Certain proprietary brands or cereals COST
ing l-3 cents carton are commonly sold AZ cents
and others that command Il 25 cents wholesale are
in others
crackers cents per pound wholesale. sell Ior
cents retail which is not good business even
IL you do a great deal of IL. Bread. sweed up By
some trick of baking to look big. sells at two
loaves for cents In not few places There Is
a profit of / cent pork and beans q
cents. and fraction over a cent on peas ~
cents and corn and tomatoes at cents each. sup
posing your stock is OF the poorest and cheapest
quality possible.
A RUINOUs SYSTEM.
so / might extend the list indefinitely II It
would do any good A grocer would have to handle
an enormous quantity OF stuff daily TO his rent
and living expenses out Of such a scale OF PROFITS
And the OF IL Is that this ruinous system.
instead Of drawing customers who VIII buy things
upon which there Is a profit when they come 10 get
those that admit Of none. defeats Its own ends tie
shrewd housewife will go to half-a-dozen stores. or
a dozen. II need be- placidly picking up from each
the leaders /, specially offers al or below cost snd
nobody gets OF profit out x1 oe
says: The grocery 'rade has suffered greatly:
of sSOd 5u sy .ay With
goods when money Is scarce ana leave on Ssn \.
Sefy small Al. All ane Staples are very
now. Butter has been low all summer and tan;
indeed, except coffee has gone down Coffee has
gone down four or fve cents in the primary mar
it yet They viii however as the new conee.grow-
ing districts throw their product into the maSxsL
York and Brooklyn. largely Germans hard-worxS,
ans Sixteen or eighteen hours day need BE-
living on what they can't sell and sleeping under
in that way for an existence bound to survive,
70 make money and shnt In dull times 70 Keen
going on such profits as the trade Yields now One
man know Of who runs several stores mace ace an N
gain that had to do = business OF about $50 o! in
each But thar s pro Is Of small n IN
a neIghbcrhood where competition is sharp. asst
S ssy per %
arstocralic one. who does business on broader
large family trade. though his gross profits may
reach as high as . or even 80 per cent VIII NOT net
more than 10 or II per cent
THE DEPARTMENT STORES.
THE department stores are a greatly disturbing
factor not SO much In the volume OF business they
take away from the regular trade as In the effect
they have upon prices. They cut the prices upon
lines of goods upon which the grocer has always
before depended for his profit He may pave pave sold
|
cost. but made IT up on his shelf goods But the
department. stores have destroyed that margin The
suburban have been most hurt 5y tnat;
and bottle and carton goods at sucn 10" ns;
bought from their local grocers only sucn ouiky.
crude inccN venient and low.prced stun as leIt
him no margin TO live upon. The department. stores
have also hurt the trade by their practice or glvine
credits to responsible parties. and SO making =
stronger competition than they could on casn
basis II, 4, ,,,.,,.~. g.,
| There Is a class of grocers who do business IN
the narrowest possible way, sending home no GOODS,
selling only on a cash basis using only the cneapest
Wrapping paper and Offering goods 10 match IL
and they cut prices in almost criminal way
Most of the bargains they offer are such only In
| appearance. Many OF them make up what thexy
| call combination sales. Offering long list OF
| things FOR a dollar. some OF them below cost ana
others-generally tea-at extravagant advance
| upon the real value. In that way they contrive q
prod. and at the same time get an undeserveo
| reputation for selling things eheaply. And they
are not likely 10 last The grocery business Is.
| perhaps more than any other, dependent Tor sue
cess or failure upon the individuality OF the man
I enga ged in it, more than his business mein-
| DDS II he wins the confidence OF customers ny
keeping only good things. selling them az reason
| able prices being obiging and prompt IN rls de-
/ lveries and IS reasonably careful about SlvlnS
| credits he will command and hold patronage And
| YOU will not ind him doing much grumo'nS ABOUT
| the hard times. lie hasn't leisure for IL