The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-10
DEPARTMENT STORES.

Inc Massachusetts Bureau Oh StdtiSticS
and Labor has been investigating the eff
fects Of department stores in Boston upon
the general retail trade, with view OF
ascertaining the correctness of the general
impression that such stores have driven
the smaller retail dealers out of business.
The investigation covers the department
stores in Boston. The bureau finds two
classes of department stores, one Of which
sells great variety of articles having no
general relation to each other, while the
other stores make dry goods their prin-
cipal line and limit their trade to lines
legitimately connected or growing out OF
the dry goods business. There are ten
stores of the first class and nine OF the
second class in Boston. The department
store is not new or modern experiment
in that city. OF the real department stores,
those selling everything. so to speak. one
was established in 1856, five of the ten be-
gan business prior to 1S93 and only two
were established as late as 1898. OF the
other class, those having dry goods as a
basis and including ready-made clothing,
millinery, boots and shoes, six of the nine
were started prior to 1891 and one in 1852
The foregoing statements show that Bos-
ton has about the same number of de-
partment stores. in proportion to popula-
ton. that other cities throughout the coun-
try have, so that what may have been dis
covered by the investigation in Boston may
| n CT in nfh 1orc otf
The chief accusation against the depart
ment stores is that they kill off the small
er establishments and are thus constant
~ reducing the number of independent re-
tailers Strange as it may appear, the in
vestigation of the Massachusetts, bureau
oces not sustain such an assumption. III
1875 there was one apothecary store in
Boston to every 1,461 inhabitants; in 1895
there was one store to every 1.510 of popu-
lation. In boots and shoes there was one
in 1895 there was one store to every 1855 in
habitants. In carpets the average popula-
ton to each retail store in 1875 was 2O,113,
| in 1896 it 1857. In the grocery trade
| there was one store In 1875 to every 357 Of
| population. In 1895 the number Of people to
store was 800. In 1875 there was one cloth
| ing store to $3.50 persons. in 1895 one to
| 2,940. In 1875 the number of retail stores
| OF all kinds in Boston was Psi, or one to
| every Us residents; in 1895 there were 3, 49s
the population. The department store has
not broken into the retail dry goods trade
to the extent that might have been ex-
| pected. since the average population foz
each store in 1875 was 2,026 and 2,646 in 1895
Into the line known as fancy goods the
department store has made the greatest
| inroads, as there was one such retail store
| in 1875 to 1,S2S inhabitants, while in 1896
there was one fancy goods store to 4,eO.
of population.
the foregoing comparisons are made be.
tween 1875 and 1895. they do not show the
effect Of the department store upon small
er retailers at the present time To this
the answer is that most of the department
| stores in Boston were established prior &c
1895, and that the establishment of suct
stores was held in disfavor by many who
| were not retailers as early as 1890 all Over
the country, and that their greatest growth
| occurred between 1890 and 1896 The Massa
chusetts statistics may be accepted as cor
rect. and. so accepted. the department
stores are not the all-devouring Moloch.
they have been pictured. even if their op
erations In other larger cities have beer
more extensive than they are in Boston