Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-12
Americans easy"
For London Shopkeepers
pecial Correspondence Of The Star.

|
LONDON, September 20, 1907.
| vV1ITH the exodus of the American
w tourist from London the prices in
the various stores that cater to
their wants are beginning to fall. 1t may
not be gene rally known, but 1t is neverthe-
less fact. that with the thrush of the
American visitors to the British METROPOLIS
prices are watered to an extent that would
make an up-to-date American trust mag
nate blush. and with their departure the
bottom drops out 80 to speak, and the
price marks once more assume a normal
face.
There was time, not many years ago.
when the average American could come to
London and fool himself into believing
that he was saving the cost of his passage
on his purchases. Three or four suits. a
dozen pairs of gloves and dozen neck
ties were packed away In a trunk marked
Not Wanted on Voyage" and he was
the proud and happy possessor of a ward
robe that he was sure could not be dupli-
Gated for twice the money In his home
land.
But all that has been changed There
was time when a good suit could be OBJ
tanned in London for SIS Today, during
the American season, the same suit Is
ticketed $50, and unbushingly offered to
the easy, open-handed American tour
ist Neckties which were formerly 80
cents are now priced 60 cents and kid
gloves. although still cheaper than In the
United States. always advance 80 per cent
during the late summer, when the
"Rubes" from the other side are here in
full force.
AS a matter of fact, it is an exceptional
English store that has a fixed price on an
article. In the majority of cases the
question of price is left to the salesman.
He has minimum scale below which he
is not allowed to go, but the nearer the
sky he gets with his actual sales the bet
ter he is liked by his employer
The writer has frequently had expe-
riences such as one which occurred to him
quite recently. He entered a Strand shop
and inquired the price of a certain ar
ticle.
Two shillings," answered the clerk.
How much?' pretending not to hear)
Two and six
Again he has entered shop to buy an
umbrella which hung in the window to
find the case which inclosed it removed
when it was wrapped up for him. Upon
lnquiring The why and the wherefore OF
this he has been told that il he wanted
the case it would cost him shilling
extra.
Il
NOW, these methods are rather raw
and the merchant who practiced them in
the United States would starve for want
of customers. Americans are considered
easy by this class of merchants, and they
are easy simply because they have been
used TO the one-price system and are not
on the lookout for eXtortions of this kind.
The American has himself to blame for
the fact that prices go up as soon as the
papers announce that the rush for Eng
land has begun in the United States. In
past years and even today, the American
tourists, and especially the women folks,
find it impossible to make a purchase in
London shops without making an audible
remark about its cheapness.
why, these gloves would cost me three
tim5s as much in New York" she ex-
claims, intent upon impressing her ma
tionality upon the shopseeper, who, by the
way, was perfectly aware Of it from the
time she darkened the doorway of his
store. These oft-repeated remarks have
had the natural effect upon the English
storekeeper and Americans act upon Len
don prices like clear weather on d ba-
roncter.