Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-22
TRADE NEEDS
MARKET BUILDING
Canvass Of Country's Buyers
Shows This to Be Great
est Lack
WILL AID LIBERTY LOAN
With 100 Per Cent Record, Offer to
Help Other Organizations to
Beat Kaiser

The Philadelphia Wearing Apparel
Salesmen's Association has been gather.
ing figures and data from buyers the
country over, with The object of learn
ing just what It is that the buyers want
TO make chem spend a maximum propor-
tion of their appropriations in tine Phila
delphia market. The statistics show:
That based on the proportionate vol
umes of production of the two cities the
buyers should spend their appropriations
80 per cent in Philadelphia and 10 per
cent in New York.
The problem of the Philadelphia in
dustry, therefore. is ways and means
of making 1t worth the while of the buy
ers to give his city its fair allotment
of 80 per cent
The results of the canvass show that
the buyers virtually all are more than
willing to spend this proportion of their
budgets on Philadelphia.mad goods pur-
chased in Philadelphia, If the Philadel-
phia houses do these Two things:
See that the buyers get convenient
hotel accommodation and that the offer
ings of the various manufacturers are on
view in a central location
This brings up squarely the issue of
gether OF sales headquarters of Phia-
delphia wearing apparel manufacturers
in one building. suitable for the dis
play of merchandise, and equipped and
arranged for the convenience of the
buyers.
1t is hard to estimate the tremendous
advantage this would give to the Phila-
delphia industry. Already one Of its
strongest points is the mutual assistance
idea in its courtesy to visiting buyers
Purchasers who have come into the
Philadelphia market have all had the
same experience. II the particular
house they are talking to has no line
which just meets their needs, no spirit
of jealousy or bitter rivalry prevents 9
It's referring them to a brother manu-
faCturer who may have. Buyers uni-
versaliy have been referred from one
manufacturer to another to make a
complete survey OF the city's offerings
before they have been pressed to make
their selections. This form of coon,
erative courtesy does not hold good in
New York. And the only complaint
which the buyers have TO make of the
Philadelphia market is the material fact
that they must spend a good bit Of time
In moving from factory to factory. II
is a question of geography, and not
the spirit of courtesy and assistance
which they meet here.
So far as hotel accommodations are
concerned, it is pointed out that the
burden has been heavy on the hotels
/ throughout the East as a result of the
war work bsing done along the Atlantic
seaboard. Philadelphia. perhaps, has
| been little more heavily taxed than
/ New York. But tho buyers problem can
! he met and is to be met, through action
of the Wearing Apparel Statesmen - as
( ISOLATION
/ The association has notified buyers
! contemplating a visit to this market
/ that II they will only communicate with
! the association i'm advance, at its head
quarters 400 Denckla Building, Eleventh
and Market streets, the association will
see to it without question that the
reservation is made for the buyer and
/ that his room will be waiting for hin
! when he arrives. Arrangements TO this
end have been made with hotels.