Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-12
Big Store Always Making Deliveries

day ana returned 10 stock. The wagon
clerk, of course, has received a receipt
for their return, and the entire record OF
the goods from wsgonmen to statesmen must
be kept clear. The cashier for the c. o. ID.
department has his office in the delivery
rooms
The den devoted to special deliveries is
a busy corner. Here come runners from
all over the store with packages which
cannot await the regular delivery. For
example, IL a woman is leaving town in
haste in the evening and has just missed
the morning delivery, her goods will be
sent to her special, rather than take the
chance CT their being late by the regular
afternoon delivery. The aisle director pre-
sumably satisfies himself that the request
for special delivery is warranted. but it is
an acknowledged truth in many stores that
special delivery is much Of a fad with
certain fussy shoppers and regular custo-
mers, who invent excuses that are ter
ribly and wonderfully put together. The
special is an accommodation, pure and
simple. and a big store records between
$4,000 and $4,000 Of these accommodations
every year. Special delivery is made by
boy or by wagons reserved for that pur-
pose.
uth NHcES 10 a COIhGE utNOICu W Nv
packages" which have been ordered for
delivery on certain days. They may be G.
o. d. bundles, or paid packages. Each bin
is labeled with the day of the week on
which they go out.
The transfer department looks like a
postofice, with a thousand small racks for
holding tho sale slips attached to trans
fer cards. AS each slip is received, it is
tucked into its little rack, and the package
is tossed into a bin which corresponds in
number to the rack. When the clerk finds
that the entire transfer card has been
checked or, packages are gathered up and
turned over to the reuter- for distribution.
This method of shopping is infinitely
safer and quicker than to have purchases
sent Unfortunately and unattached from
all over the store. Men. as a rule, will
not bother with a transfer card, no matter
how large their shopping list, but women
like the system and use 1t very generally.
The nail-order department is run on the
same system as the transfer, and the ex-
press department is on somewhat similar
lines. In the special delivery department
are kept the records of the entire delivery
system, and one large rack is SO arranged
that it will hold a years record sheets,
ready for instantaneous investigation.
The express rooms and those devoted to
the packing of all large shipments and de-.
~liveries, such as china, glass, house fur
nishings, works of art and furniture, look
like busy carpenter shops. The china
room is lined with high tables where the
inspectors stand. They not only inspect
all breakable goods, but stamp them with
their numbers, and then pass them on
to expert packers, who also stamp the
package. In this way responsibility for
breakage can be traced.
The average big department store en-
ploys 100 regular wagons and a half dozen
electric vans. Three hundred and seventy
five horses are in service, and fully that
many men are kept at work en- wagons and
around the stables, which are in charge of
a skilled veterinary surgeon.
So important does the average firm re-
gard its delivery system ttat, to perfect It
and keep it working smoothly, 1t is willing
to pay its superintendent a salary which
rivals that of a successful buyer or head
Of department.