The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-05-30
Eastern Grocers and Their Stores and
Bus;ness
By EUGENE FAINT, Boston, Mass.

Dx Gu0ENE AMI, DUStOu, MASS.
The grocer away out here in the ex-
treme East is not the STIFF, cold, un-
copgenial person that Southerners
and Westerners think he is. ! have
been in the retail grocery trade in
South Carolina and have often heard
about how the New England grocer
would cut Q drummer up aud treat
him discourteously. wish to contra
dict this impression, as there ere q
large majority Of warm-hearted, good
pe.ured grocerymen here. OF course
you will End few ':crosscut saws" in
the retail grocery trade anywhere in
the United States, but they are evenly
distributed and not in one nucleus
around Boston. People here as gen
eral rule are ''strictly business al
ways in rush, therefore they really
haven't the spare time to enter into
long social chats with travelling men.
They are also visited by more drum
mers,. as the trade is worked and
watched closer around Boston than
anywhere in the United States. If g
firm has its goods we'll introduced in
Boston and the New England States
you may know somebody has been
hustling and soheming to shove it in
among host Of competitors. The
trade here are quick to appreciate
quality. Tue moment they see certain
band of goods is better than they
have been handling they purchase it
regardless Of price, as Ghis is one eeo-
tion where quality overrules quantity.
Ofcourse there are some s'oheap John" "
stores here, but they are Small pota-
Toes" as they alwsyB nre wherever you
find them. The general tendency ell
over the country among intelligent
grooeFs is to cater to the better class Of
trade with high-olass goods, thus edu-
eating those who use cheaper, inferior
goods 10 see that che best is really the
cheapest after all. AS trade is full Of
manufacturing aud jobbing competi-
tion here, the retail grocer is also more
numerous and competition is very
keen, and goods are sold, as rule,
much closer here than in the South or
West, which We all think are selling
on very narrow msrg;ns. So you see
where there is more wealth to the
square inch thtrs is also much sharp
er competision, and the proposition Of
successful business is about on an
equal footing all over the land. When
ever / hear grocer etefnally crying
dull times then l know he is not taking
proper interest in his business and
pushing it and hustling as he shoulds
The volume Of grocer's trade .is
usually what he makes it, and it don't {
make itself. Custom these days has
to be sought after and held, and the
man that tells you business is fair,
OF good, ne 10 the one that has his
shoulder to the wheel ever looking out
For and adding new improvements to
his business TO draw and hold trade.
Don't imagine that some sections ee
che United States are free from these
| grccers who are crying dali timer.
You will Gnd them from Maine Go Cal
ifornia.
There are some very handsomely
equipped stores and meat markets mp
here, but there are some very dark
old, anoient fly-specked dens with just
enough goods 60 distinguish them as
stores. The bulk Of the fanciest beef
and rautton shipped from Chicago and
Omaha comes TO Boston, as this is the
fsnoiest market in che United States,
in proportion to the population. Some
of the very small towns up here have
handsema marble sssiass throughout
in their stores and markets. The price
is placafded on every article as rule,
not on,y in show windows but on the
shelves, thus making il easy FOR the
customer to become familiar with
every kind and quality Of goods at .
| glance. This is the reason so many
stores fail; they don't attach enough
|impoftance te little details like these,
that are trade-winners and cost prac-
tioaily nothing. Placard everything
you can;it is q silent advertiser and
often attracts the customer when your
clerk Is Otherwise engaged.
Groeers DO not buy much Of one
thing ct astime mp here, as they do
South and West, but usually keep
stocked up, and thereby keep the
goods moving and fresh. Isee q great
many brands Of goods here that i saw
South and West, but for she most
part they are local brands, never seen