The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-21

II 81
ST ST
tionnl COSTS credits, slow accounts. and
running tho business in small way, ne
could not make any profit at less than
;2.25 per dozen, selling direct to the trade.
Now what applies 70 one me, m m, u5nn,
5turer's line OF goods Is to certain extent
applicable to others.
Western manufacturers and jobhsrs
speak often Of their superior finish ana
stock. Tho goods that they produce
are made by Union labor. which wor./3 Dy
the piece and the operatives arc PAID
by the piece !,
II they work their factories to the full
capacity. making nifty to one hundrsd
prices OF shoes. those same Union opera
8tives. knowing that the greater number
OF pieces they turn out or finish ~ q
day. tho greater will be their wages,
time to the finish and duality, than VIII
the Union operatives In the large East
ern factories making one style OF SHOES
In large quantities. and at fun cnpa city.
his factory at one-hnlt capacity. with the
ali the. finish the most fastidious critic
could DESIRE but the cost OF piece labor
ing the possibility OF marketing the FIN
ished product.
The jobber does not take the risk. and
does not have the loss caused by throw
outs. defective goods. bad collections OF
stock occasionally, and inferior work.
every kind OF goods has TO sustain.
A high-class jobber can supply any gen.
eral merchant or shoe store ~ the aver.
age town or city Of from 900 to 1000
population. with all grades OF footwear
that his trade will demand. but SO many
OF the retailers consider 1t essential TO
buy several specialties namely; In mems
goods with the result that they nrc al
most always carrying the profits in un-
seesonable goods and passe styles, when
Sin high-class shoes cannot be forced
upon the market at profit, and In or,
der to reduce the stock tha sacrifice and
loss sustained amounts to about nifty
per cent.
a Few retailers realize this until they
find that sixty per cent. Of their vallla,
bic space for shoes is occupied by a dead
stock that is practically unsalcnble. ex-
cept at from twenty-five to hfty per
cent LEGS than cost.
When a retailer goes into the sample
room OF some large speciality line. max
ing nifty. sixty. or more. styles OF one
grade shoes no matter how superior his
Judgment may be. he Is more than apt
( to overbuy, from the fact that the wants
OF his general trads are eliminated at the
time being, and the wants OF single
class nre in his minds eye. tho natural
attractiveness and the needs OF all class
the lowest calculation his order for $3.50
shoes amounts to from flftecn 70 twenty
five dozen or more.
Now take this same retailer into the
sampLe-room containing a general line
Of shoes in mems, women's and children's
shoes. and the wants OF all classes are be-
fore him, and he knows that to buy
judiciously and profltaby he must look
10 the interests OF his many and varied
customers. ss55l 81
When he begins to make a selection and
goes to $3.50 seller. his Judgment (Which
Is correct IN this. instance), tells him
that five styles. to-wit: FtEe dozen $'.ov
sellers will meet all the contingencies and
demands In his class Of goods Tor a
reasonable time
Comparing these two positions. you can
see t glance the meaning that Is In
landed to be conveyed by the illustra-
tons.
Any good jobber can so to the East 70 {.
the most reputable manufacturers Of
high-class $3.50 shoes and place contracts
men to sell through various territory.
he can buy these shoes and sci them
for a fair profit, made up In the sane ,Ili
style and same qualityyof stock that TINS
same very large mannfactursr Wo1 ,,a ASK ASK
pense and time OF soliciting the retailers,
order in small quantities all over the
various sections OF the country and soi9
1T considerable risk. even d thong Ia,a so 70
ask more for this line OF shoes than the
1obbers would sell It for. Y
This is not fancy, nor fiction, put Is Is
actual facts and II any ret Ia. ~, W.. :
that there is side to the question 20
which he has given very little we'ght,
thought or study.
Recently the writer noted n 9 oW It
RI from a a high Incl jobber and sold on nm
average OF rs dozen $3.50 sellers a year.
Ha was persuaded to- put In custom me ny
| Of mems fine shoes and this IS MS record:
1.-The Following season the writer. counted
found 200 pairs on April 25th; on IL Noyem.
| bcr o5th, the same year, he had soo pairs,
on the following April he nae ~ sTo same sa,I1e
dozsn a year MS he needed them. Should
this retailer continue In the same ratlo,
no will have the entire cnpttai sh .a' d s
| ment, tied up In this one grade OF goG1 .n
and ind when It is too late that nc mas
made fatal error, KS, :, ~ ! ia,
lNSThis one instance clted ~ tnu ,"ot M
lfcondition of affairs In large per oo GENT J.
5of the retail stores In towns OF n ;ou ~ ~
III 900 reputation where the policy y
n,,rsued to handle from one to I'VE spes'att
| lines of~shoes; and the proNts Are ny ~,
bn,y there goods from such q source
$buf In in carrying so many Of these one
STYLE goods causes the merciain. 70 o re,
QUIZ QUIZ Far Hin, many patrons on account
Of tI't the incompleteness Of his stock as an
ug The moro merchant deals In speG, y Ivy
cug.on, shoes direct from smali or IA snis =
70 tie individual tastes of the smallest Z
and protitess class, and pamgeri,m M s., w
idiosyncrasles OF nlcaynnsh trade e "a AZ =
please. who buy or g credit, nhta "a - s ~.
widths, trips, heels, soles--than he can
possibly afford to carry--and olten ne