The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-02
Own Delivery Boy
and Reduce Your Grocery Bills


nktls. waah.. Feb. 2s.--Yon step
tihbt IN and help yourself.
Then you pay the cashier and carry
yeeae 1roceries heme in a market has
Int.
YhaAss the way tile Seattle Groceteria
sores system works. and It works sat
l9factorily for the public and for the
ZEN who started it.
For the customer II means a saving
Af is per cent in food costs. For the
6riginators it has rung the cash regis
ter to the tune of nearly a million
year-Sa golden flow OF money for
"hunch."
Few there are who would search for
romance in the staid trade of selling
eatables, but three young men found
romance there.
They capitalized their idea with what
money they had, much elbow grease
and = lot OF intelligence.
In less than three years they had
won out-big.
Walter A., Alvin o. and G. Martin
Monsoon, formerly of Osceola, Neb., and
I III under 81. went west" in the fall Of
1915, started their first groceteria and
proceeded to make their fortune.
They have increased their stores to-
&e l1ouses--fS In Seattle and four in
towns adjacent.
The groceteria sells groceries on the
cafeteria plan. Mrs. Housewife walks
In with her market basket--or gets one
III the store--makes a leisurely choice
81 things necessary for the pantry and
nays the man behind the cash register
m the way out.
Prices are plainly marked on every
article for sale. There Is no chance
Y ~ mistake or overcharging.s tor the
customer can figure the bill an she
goes along.
A. TO the success, pains and pleas
ARES Of running groceterias Walter A.
Il ll0nson explains from experience:
'.vvhen we first started here. we laid
nut certain definite basic plans Tor the
conduct Of our business. such aa price
reduction and the like. and stuck TO
&hcm.
"This type OF business Ii not a sue
ness except when conducted on a large
scale. The secret is in the buying. We
4 are able TO operate successfully by pur-
4 chasing large quantities Of goods for
y1iatTibution to our different stores. And
!. ssgc didn't make money until we had
4 Established several stores.
1.-THE groceteria plan enables w to
nAll foodstufYs 10 par cent lower than
3he ordinary type ok retail store.
This il how We DO II: We mako I.
saving because we hnve no expensive
delivery system: ~ clerk hire: no tele
3 phones in our stores: no outlay for
4 aaale service to the customer. And we
4 an. Cor cash only. Huch 4 saving per-
ssaits US to sell ct lower prices TO the
public and the pubic surely likes the
Paan.
\ 1T took little educating at first,
but now that the ufpcet4f.ja is well
aenown here, we fiad the citizens onls
400 glad to carry their groceries homo
Tor the chance Of making money On
their purchases.
Z zone thing we do not like. Many bis
manufacturers WON'T sell to US because
We insist on making our own SELLING
sprice. The manufacturer wants to rs
The price for the retailer. and as re.
rult we frequently have to make u
change In various brands--quit scme
big house because II demands the light
ito fix the price.
1--WE try to treat the wholesaler fair
We never sell one article at a loss ane
make IL up on another. We make OH
prices low and keep them there. Blu
for us 1t Is essential that We have TIN
right to determine what the pubic
Il shall pay---not for the manufactures 7
set an arbitrary scale. II Wholesalers
are ever permitted to fix minimum
price to retailers, we might as wei
throw up the sponge.
The groccterias here sell all food a.
ticles except perishables. A uniqu
advertising campaign adds spice 70 tn
routine of business. The stores are al
painted uniform color-a bright or
ange.
M The trademark .Grocetefia' has bee
copyrighted in several states by tn
.Monsons and in time they want to cur
aiy the idea of every purchaser his "w
clerk and deliveryman' all over tn
United states.