Norwich bulletin., 1917-08-11
NORWICH CHAMBER
 ASKED TO COOPERATE
Is Carrying Out' Recommendations Of
 Commercial Economy Board.

1 The Norwich Chamber of Commerce has been asked by the Connecticut State Council of Defense through the Connecticut Chamber of Commerce to i assist in carrying out the recommen- dations of the Commercial Economy ] Board of the Council of National De fense. In a comm municatiOn from i President Edward Jones of the State l Chamber, Secretary II. R. Branche, of l the local chamber was asked for his approval or disapprOVal of the rec concentrations and he has notified i President Jones that he favors tlH 1 resolutions. All state directors have the recommendations and if a major ity of the replies received on or be- fore August 18th are in favor of them they will stand as a vote by the state directors and will be entered on the
 minutes at their next meeting.
 Says the Commercial Economy Board in it's report:
 The retail stores of the country can
 dispense with many thousand men and vehicles and still perform all the necessary delivery service. These
 men and this equipment could be. used far more advantageously for other
 purposes. There are also in the de- partment stores many men and much equipment unnecessarily employed in
 delivering small parcels and making extra trips.
 In ordinary retail grocery stores the
 common figure for delivery expense is 3 per cent of the net sales. In the
 stores selling fancy groceries and
 therefore catering to 9 class of trade
 requiring more expensive service, the
 delivery is even higher
 Our figures show that in depart
 ment stores the total delivery expense
 including every step from the time the
 package is wrapped until it reaches
 the customer ranges from 1 per cent
 6 6 D of ha
 The average figure for department
 stores in large cities is about per
 cent. The cost of delivery in depart
 ment stores and large speciality stores
 ranges from cents to 25 cents
 Such heavy costs for delivery are
 due chiefly to an unjustified demand
 on the part of customers for wholly cery stores delivery expense has in creased by delivering articles that customers could conveniently carry. and by too frequent delivery of small quantities of merchandise as an ac- commodation service. In department stores and dry-goods stores probably one-half of the articles delivered could be carried home by the purchasers without any inconvenience: and dur ing the war a bundle under the arm should be regarded as a sign of honor.
 In one department store our repre- sentative found four glass tumblers that had been sold for cents apiece being packed for delivery. They were packed with excelsior in basket that cost 50 cents. Owing to the value of the basket the driver had to make a second trip to bring it back. Obvi- 1 Cusly the packing and delivery of these four tuanblers cost more than what the store received for them. This ! is not an extreme case, but a typical !! example of what is taking place every i day in thousands of stores, resulting | in the employment of men and equip | ment that are greatly needed else 1 whe ere.
 To a great extent, however, the 1 stores themselves are at fault for the | large number of small packages de- | livered: they have not sought to en- customers to take packages with them. nor have they properly en- deavored to facilitate the rapid serv- ing of customers.
 In department stores and especially !