Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-02-24
retail at about $2.25 per pair.
Women's and chiidren's Shoes


The greater part CT the business in
women's shoes is on cheap oxfords
and pumps carrying, heels SIS high.
High shoes with similar heels are also
IN demand in cheap grades. The
popular retail price for women's shoes
is $3.50. OF course, the white trade
demands the same in style and price
range as being sold on the mainland
Canvas pumps and oxfords are popu-
lar, but for the general trade they
must be cheap. Oriental men buy
good shoes for themselves and their
children, but insist upon cheap shoes
for the women. The peculiar size re-
quirements in mems shoes apply, in
proportion, to the women's lines. No
market for women's comfort turns
has ever been developed, but from the
general characteristics of the market,
1t would seem that this type of foot
wear would become popular.
The requirements In the ehildren's
trade are for medium and better
grades showing good value and APP
pearance. Size requirements are
about the same as on the mainland.
The children either wear good shoes
or go barefoot. i.
Retail Trade conditicns-Season
The white retailers conduct their
business on the same lines and in
the same kind of stores as do the
shoe retailers in the United States.
They meet every week or two to dis
cuss problems and to plan reforms
that will work to their general benefit.
Competition is keen but clean. The
competition felt most is from the
Oriental retailers, who. sell at lower
prices and who keep their stores open
practically all the time. Inasmuch as
the Orientals handle good merchandise
along with cheap, white persons fire.
quently find 1t convenient to buy from
them when the white stores are
closed The white dealers have found
no way OF combating this competition,
and are generally resigned to it. The
Orientals are satisfied with profit of
80 per cent to 40 per cent, and they
get from 80 to so days credit after
the goods arrive in Honolulu. The
white stores cannot run profitably on
so small a margin. Their profits run
up to 65 per cent according to the
grades and Glasses catered to.
Because all the stores sell to all
races, every retail store under white
management has cosmopolitan sales
force. Usua.iy a Japanese, a Chinese
and Hawaiian or part Hawaiian will
be found on duty
One reason is SO much like another
in Hawaii that they are not productive
or dead merchandise, and clearance
sales are consequently few. One
store manager admits only one such
sale in five years, and says he win
never have another because he will
handle his stock 30 that no such sale
viii be necessary.
Market for Shoe aFindlngs-Finsneial
Standing
In an the stores, white and Orien.
tai alike, there Is good market for
shoe findings. especially rubber heels,
shoe polishes and arch supports. The
sale of shoe polishes per capita is said
to be surprisingly large. The demand
for rubber heels lis exceptional One
general merchant buys them in thou.
sand-dollar lets. AArcn supports and
other correctiyef and comfort aces
series are in good demand, and retail
ers give competent service on them.
One store has a. graduate Crthopedic
physician in constant attendance.
Failures in the shoe business in
the islands are few. Business life is
necessarily so provincial that financial
responsibility and moral risks are
known TO all wholesalers. Collections
are good No dealer can afford to In
dulge in sharp practises or evade pay.
ment
Packing. shipping and Advertising
For selling and shipping, Hawaii
should be treated like a foreign coun-
, try. II is more than 1000 miles from
San Francisco, the port from which
most merchandise for the islands is
cleared, and the difficulties of dis.
lance apply to 1t just as much as to
any distant market. Shoe receivers
complain Of the indifference of Ameri'
can shoe shippers to proper packing
and their disregard of complaints and
suggestions. Cases should be OF good
weight lumber and strapped with
metal around the ends. The better
cases have center partitions and are
Wire-bound at the center as well as
end strapped. This little extra care
prevents theft from open cases and
creates good viii On the part of the
recipient
Honolulu is a port of call for trans
pacific steamers and passengers from
every part of the world take adyan-
tage of the few hours or days in port
10 see the city and make purchases
For this reason and because many
0rientals return home after a few
years residence in the Misunderstanding
American ways and merchandise with
them window displays, poster and
newspaper advertising have an an
usual value. for they reach purchasers
from nearly every part of the world
| In Honolulu there are two daily
newspapers in English, an evening and
morning paper: four japanese dailies,
two Chinese dailies and weekly and
semi-weekly Chinese, Japanese, Fill
Pine, Korean and Portuguese papers,
In addition to these are religious
papers and several high-elass week
lies in Hawaiian. At Hilo there are
tu0 weakly naporc IN En0IiSh a Iana.