Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1914-04-17
The Sanitary Store.

While there may be some things
that are regarded as of more impor
lance by many merchants, don't be-
lieve there is any other factor which
has a greater bearing upon the sue
cess of a retail grocer than that of
cleanliness, says John c. Rieck in the
Pickleodeon.
BY this | mean not only cleanliness
on the part of the employees, but also
the displaying of goods and the way
in which they are handled from the
time they come into our possession.
Most people are fussy about what
they eat, and it is to their credit that
this is so. A grocer, therefore, who
is at all careless in the matter of
keeping his premises in an absolutely
sanitary condition is placing one Of
the greatest obstacles in his own road
to success.
To be sure, a grocer does not have
to keep his place spotlessly clean in
order to do some business, for there
are some people who follow the lines
of least resistance and who will trade
at the store which is nearest to their
homes, but the majority of people will
go out of their way to trade at a place
where they know that everything is
not only kept clean, but is displayed
in a sanitary manner and in a way
which is inviting.
1t isn't a difficult matter to keep a
store in this condition if the proprie-
tor will start in right and educate his
employees to realize that, particularly
in a grocery store, Cleanliness is next
to godliness."
The floor of the store should be
scrubbed at frequent periods. Every
shelf ought to be gone over and dust
ed every week or ten days, and a
coat of paint both inside and outside
is one of the greatest things in the
world to give place that new, bright,
attractive appearance without which
It is impossible to make merchandise
look inviting.
Screen doors and windows are an
absolute necessity in the summer time
and fly catchers of some kind should
be on hand to take care of the flies
which evade these barriers.
The back room, cellar or any place
used for storage purposes ought to be
kept just as clean and presentable as
the display room, and there is no rea
son why the backyard should be al
lowed to become Uttered with rubbish
Carelessness in this connection opens
up an opportunity for the accumula
ton of mouldy goods and incidentally
attracts the flies.
Attention should be given to the
proper lighting and ventilating of the
building, and a Mushroom should be
handy, so as to make it as easy as
possible for the employees to frequent
ly use soap, water and towels.
Unusual care should be exercised il
keeping the refrigerator absolutely
clean and free from must and slime
Fruits, vegetables, ETC., should be ele
waited from the floor, and dried fruit:
should be kept covered.
These details, if watched by the pro
prietor, will not involve any grea
amount of work, for habits are easil!
acquired and once employees know
that slovenliness will not be tolerated
they adjust themselves accordingly.
} Manufacturers have for long tim,
realized the commercial advantage o
insisting not only upon scruplouI
! cleanliness in their plants, but also il
J the handling of raw material and il
: the general appearance of the EN-
ployes.
J Manufacturers have found that it Il
best to be particular about these de
J tails, and if such is the case in plac
of business where only a small per
centage of ones customers ever SCI
the conditions which exist, how mucl
} more important it is for the retaile
whose customers come in persona
contact with him and his employe
and his store every day.
The grocery store ought to be tn
cleanest place of business in eacl
community and believe it will b
, found that the successful men in thi
, line are the ones who early appre
, ciated this fact and by precept an
example are endeavoring to place tn
, grocery business upon the highest pc:
sible plane.