Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-12-23
DISCOUNT ABOLISHED
BrattIeboro Grocers Will Charge
Full Price After January |
Custom Has Been In Vogue About 1s
Years and Recently Both Cash and
Credit Patrons Have Fared Alike.

All the grocers of Brattleboro have
notified their customers that on ana AFTER
Ian l. 1911, they will discontinue five
ner cent discount for trade, and thus VIII
come to an end a custom that mas been
carried on in the grocery stores mere 10
years or more
change was in its prime 1t was paying,
at the end of the year, as high as 20 ana
"a per cent dividends The list of stock
holders was large and was constantly
growing, as large dividends were an IN
ducement to persons who wished TO save
money on their groceries. As the mem
bership in the store grew the dividends
became smaller but they were larse
enough to attract trade and other grocers
began to lose many of their best custom
ers Then it was that some of them de-
cided to give a discount of five per cent
ON trade to those who paid cash. rms
stopped the flow to the EXCHANGE ana
trade was more evenly divided. 1t looked
as though the five per cent discount was
a success and the other grocery stores
adopted the plan. In a snort time the
erocers. in order to hold their trade, be-
gan to give the discount to all their Gus
toners, whether they paid cash or settled
their bills once a week, once month or
once a wear. and there are persons who, IL
they settle before Jan. l. will be entitled
TO a discount on bills that have been
running several wears The discount was
given to all customers and the primary
cause Of its being given was forgotten.
The Grange store on Elliot street,
which was sold a few weeks ago to G. o.
Abbott 6, Son, was an outgrowth of the
Farmers and Mechanics Exchange. HAD
that store continued under the former
management II would have continued TO
give the usual five per cent discount but
its sale marked the beginning Of the end
lNfTE noes
Brattleboro. After the sale was consum-
mated the grocers took up the matter of
doing away with the discount ana 1t did
not take long to reach an agreement,
which will go into effect Jan !.
a reporter of The PhPniX called OF
several grocers this week and asked Their
reasons for disseminating the discount
All agreed that the increased cost Of do
ing business was the primary cause. Ac-
Cording to the grocers the manufacturers
Of package and brand goods, such as
Qua ker oats, Ivory soap, cocoa, tea,
coffee, spice etc, have repeatedly boosted
the wholesale price of their goods within
the past few years The prices Of brand
good and packages are standard the world
over and the grocer has not been able to
raise his price in proportion to the In
crease in cost to him. Competition in the
grocery business is keen. Several trips
each day are made over the same route
and there has been no return to the
grocer in proportion. Also the FIVE per
cent discount to all kinds Of customers
has eaten into his profits.
Not one of those seen would admit thau
the discount eventually was paid by the
consumer, although one grocer said.
"Have you ever known the getting some
thing for nothing scheme to work yet ?
In all my experience it costs somebody
something" Perhaps those who have
been most anxious to get the discount IN
the past will welcome the reduction in the
price Of some goods that will follow doing
away with the cash discount. Some OF
the grocers clerks already have notified
their customers that the prices of some
things will be lower after the first Of the
year Goods on which there is a standard
prices will not be cut but there are
many things that will stand a reduc-
ton and some OF them will be reduced in
price. The storekeepers have not yet
decided what articles will be cut, and al
though the reduction will not be large
the grocers intend to make up to the con-
sumner that which he is now getting by
the discount.