The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-08
BUYING AHEAD ON
A RISING MARKET
This is Urged, Instead Of a Hand
to-Mouth Policy. in the
Clothing business.

/
! "The most Improbable place for
/ a merchants money TO be at the pres
( ent time is In a bank. ana a hand
! TO- mouth policy of buying under ex-
I sting conditions liz almost ruinous
! Il have a number OF cases in
| mind continued Edgar b. Walters
| New York manager for the Kuh, Ma
than and Fischer company, Of Chi
! caro .,yhere retail store owners have
] been buying merchandise only when
the need arose. and all of them have
been very badly beaten in competi-
ton with others who have bought
ahead of the usual time, and are
carrying larger stocks. because Of
,he Abnormal times. Take the in
stance of. ths huyer for a department
etora IN Nearby civ. He In out
INV far hlue ard green flannel suite.
which ba wants delivered Immediate
| iv AS consequence of his hand
| to -nlo,1th huying he is paying more
| for these suits than his competitors
are selling them for to their cusfo-
mers Resides this big price disadvan-
iaye nc ia no. getting the selection
| AT This time that would have been
| orforad hin eariler in the season.
I His store is losing trade. because OF
,be high urices ,hev have to charge.
! hu. somehow or other it is impossi Bile
( - ror,yi,ra tha merchandise man
, GOV ~ INC esfahlishment that the
/ ,h,rr ~ Al Is n huv on the advance
I ipu ,uarrat He aert M confirmation
NJ orders given for thu spring sea-
/ CO, ard en- -ar u-e have received no
conf,rmattor an merchandise booked
far delivery This fall.
/ "As an example of the advances
! that are constantly being made in
| tba trade take the case of a raincoat
~. ,a hronrbt out last October in
80. urr,,,s I've Tha original price
was sts "a which enabled the re-
t.iiar IN nnarr II s25. we are now
/ asLinr soA 5o FOR that same garment.
80 H. retailer who did not put in
~ ordar FOR his fnlI needs when we
e~r, haa., n +aLe orders now has TO
s., sao Sor Il or he IS losing, money.
Tno eomnetition this man is up
against with the stora that original
~ houvh, fun ouota Of such gar
r,entsI and can sell them for s25 is
aaia.sl,, ernaren. The retailer
Nh was fortunate enough to get all
ra,,,irad at tho original price is
- nroha b,,, calling the oyercoat for
GOD ,,hinh sr,1v re;ro b,rses him FOR
anv eytra carving and hand1ing
ohar.aa Nc rav have incurred bv
sra,.;r I've r,errhandisa early and
1aa,saa s,,m hes,des that insures
~, sxtra rrat,t The advance on
.hia a,,arroat nnn,her was execution
faf ~, there are other Instances that
s,,,l,, nro,,s NV noInt which is that
~ ra,ai,ar who rets In tha marke,
e.rl,, is making money. and the
800 onyrer Who chooses to pursue a
ea,,,iovs ana over-conservatiye buy.
a., ,,oI,r,, is ,os,nr trade to his more
- s nan,na,itor
az, sa,arca that was mot 50 sen
s.iaral .sa-e..a~ ! have mentioned
go ri.ca nm a line OF h1ue unfin.
80 80 srs.sa s,,,ts.That .tva Trough,
o,,. ~ sn~,ng Tbe onening price
80 s,s "a "a ono ~ our custo.
80 de,svss veek in n1acing his
go w., rax+ 10 Thought OF buy.
~, ~ nr,ca Was sI7 20 and he was
aaaisaa azair E,nallv he deter.
-. ~ n,,r.hase sftv suits hut
49,. - a-,oo "a gone nm in the mean.
49, - sts so ~ ts now ss1 and
that,s .be nrics he will have to pa,
80" ,hs.i,,ta rnch ,nferto,
sn n.arch,ra,se for the line
49, z.ancaa rJou will hs