Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-10
EDITOR
Merchants, Discounts and Deliveries

Merchants Of Washington. D. C.. have had the
merchandise delivery problem presented to them in
la new form.
| 1t is generally accepted that delivery of retail
parcels is important factor in establishing the
cost of goods. Honolulu merchants aim to reduce
the cost through cooperation to prevent duplication
of delivery equipments.
| Mrs Newton Baker wife Of the secretary of war,
started new line of thought in Washington by re-
lquesting a discount on her purchases because she
was willing to take delivery at the store and pro-
vide her own transportation. A movement to make
such discount general has been naugurated by the
National Womans Suffrage Association so there is
some prospect of merchandise delivery costs being
given wider attention than would result from
sporadic agitations.
Mrs. Bakers espousal Of the cause brought out a
statement from the secretary of the national retail
drygoods association with headquarters in New
York City. Discounts are the nightmares of retail
life per Sc and Secretary Howe in his statement to
the New York Times gives reasons for the impossi
bity of granting discount request in this instance
His review presents many of the practical Difficult
ties that have to be met by the retailers and are
therefore of international value to Honolulu buy
ers as we'll the sellers who seek to reduce the
costs of duplication. Secretary Howe in his state
ment said:
"If store gives woman discount for carrying
her small purchases home with her. the question will
be raised why it should not give a similar dis
count to a woman who trades early in the business
day, against the who trades during the rush
hours Similarly, the woman who buys $50 worth of
merchandise In one hour would soon claim better
! price on her goods than the woman who takes two
hours to buy the amount, the theory being that
she does not make so large demand the time and
service Of the store as the latter.
Again, IL discount for carrying parcels were given
the woman who lived mile from the store would
slider herself entitled to bigger rebate for her efforts
than the woman who lives just around the corner.
Suppose the idea Of giving discounts for the pur
pose in question were practicable. How could the
proper discount be determined? To begin with, the
delivery cost Of stores low as IL to
TX per cent of the gross business done. Two per
cent might well represent the average. In the
of the store with low percentage Of delivery cost
1t can readily be seen that discount for carrying
purchases, based on that percentage, would be
small as not to make it worth the customers while to
take the goods home with her.
For purposes of illustration let say that store
has offered per cent discount all nondelivered
goods A woman of slender means comes into that
store and buys waist at 81. The store gives her
rebate Of cents for carrying it home with her. and
saves money the transaction. A weather. woman
comes in and buys a waist at So She takes it home
with her in her automobile and, on the per cent
basis, she gets discount of so cents Now, the sec
ond woman,s waist probably makes no bukier pack
age and costs more to deliver than the first
womans yet the latter gets discount equal only to
onetenth of that given the former.
"Not only would such case be unfair to the poorer
woman but the store would make money on the non
delivery of the first Notwithstanding that it costs 10
cents each to deliver them-and lose money on the
second. In addition to this it would definitely estab
fish twoprice basis of selling goods, thing that all
good stores eliminated years ego and which none of
these stores wants to see come back. e..
Some may suggest that, illustrative as
sumption that it costs certain store average of 10
cents per package deliver its customers purchases
fiat rebate Of 10 cents all carried purchases would
settle the matter equtably. But would It? Suppose
the article only sold 10 cents begin with what
while more or less faretched easily could come up in
the actual transaction of business. ... +. -.
at may be argued that this difficulty be over
come by setting limit the smallness of purchases
on which these rebates should be given. Let
that this is done, and that the limit is set at
$1-that Isl no rebate will be given for carrying pur
chases costing less than that amount What would be
the result? "=.. r.. r.:
'The result would be that in giving 1o-cent re-
bate 81 purchase, the store with per cent de-
livery cost would be doubling that cost. In other
words would be paying 10 per cent of the purchase
price for having the package carried by the customer
when it could deliver the package itself for per cent
Then, again, where would justice enter this arrange
ment in the of woman who buys large tin dish
pan, costing less than ST. and who gets rebate for
taking it with her. while another woman is paid 10
cents for carrying home small fancy pin that might
cost $1.49? :.....
Another thing to consider is the effect the offering
of discount rebate nondeivered goods would
have the total number Of deliveries made by store
Unless the plan resulted in material essenng the
number Of articles to be delivered there would be moth
ing saved for anybody. AS long delivery wagon
automobile has to be sent given route at ALL it
less per package to deliver its contents when it is
full than when it is only partly filled. Unless the
number OF vehicles sent out or the number OF deliver
les day would be lessened thereby, discount or
rebate system would do store more financial harm
than good
There only two ways to solve the problem that
can One of these is for the merchant to sell
his goods free board store basis and charge
for delivery. The other is for the women of the
try carry home with them every package they pos
sbly cam relying the honesty of the merchants to
give them the fruits of their labor in the shape of
lower prices:
Even great many merchants selling
goods lower than they should in view of conditions
and prices in the wholesale markets, but it is my
honest opinion that they would sell still cheaply
il they could reduce their cost Of doing business
through cooperation the part of their customers"