New-York tribune., 1918-06-02
Human Nature Key
To Solution of
Riddles Of rade
Merchandising Observer Says
Consumers Of Goods Have
Acted According to Form
BY Archer Wall Douglas

At all times the real problem in mer-
chandising is to sense things before
they happen and not afterward. For
afterward is always too late. In nor
NAL times the usual way and means
thereto. as they say in the Prayer
Book, is the relation of the value,
price and appearance of the articles
and the fitness to purpose intended.
But in these parlous days it is largely
study of human nature as to what
the consumer will do and what he will
buy
1t should have been perfectly plain
apparel some twelve months ago that
for obvious reasons the demand for
these articles would divide sharply
along lines Of sex. For some known
and many unknown reasons, women
are much more particular about the
matter Of appearance than men. In
the days Of long skirts women were
often accused Of being sloppy and care
did not show and imagination had
some play. But that was some time
ago. Moreover, dresses and hats, es-
pecially hats, were raiment and ap-
parel in those time, and not, as now,
picturesque adornments. So it was an
immortal cinch when the cry of con-
servation and savings became much
heard, that men would patch and re-
sole their shoes, and would wear their
old clothes, but that women would
continue to buy new dresses and hats,
| especially hats, and that the higher
I the shoes went, both in price and
length, the more they would be bought.
And that is exactly what happened.
Also it was another cinch. equally i'm
mortal, that the tobacco manufacture
ers would not have to worry about
the prospect of men giving up smoking
as unessential and a luxury, or that
mems clubs and also restaurants
should make any change in their menus
save those imposed by the food ad-
minstration. And the grocer and the
butcher could have known, if they had
any deductive faculties, that the
woman purchaser was going to econo-
mize on them, just as she is doing. For
it was an easy deduction, perfectly ele-
mental, in fact, that mans appetites
are large part of his existence, while
to woman they are thing apart.
Psychology, Women and Rugs
And here again comes in curious
| 1f foyo ;riv orS
appearances. The woman housekeeper
is economizing on those household
things of utility by making old ones
last and by not buying new ones, but
this is not so true of the things of
ornament, such as rugs, curtains and
the like. 1t was also an easy forecast
that the sale of pocket cutlery would
not fall off, and as a matter Of fact
the demand for pocket knives con-
tinues to outstrip the supply. One
reason Is the entire cessation of the
importation of these goods, but an
equally potent one is the fact that
most men, and every boy. regard a
pocket knife as a personal treasure.
You do not lend a pocket knife, save
temporarily, to your dearest friend,
any more than you lend him your gun
or your dog or one Of your family.
Very few men, and no boys, are ever
without pocket knife if they have the
money to buy one.
The demand for sporting goods
seems to have divided sharply along
the lines of youth and maturcr age.
In general, baseball and tennis goods
are not selling any where .lear the
volume of last year, and last year was
poor season for these lines. The
usual cause assigned is that .he young
men who played these games are in
the ranks or in some form of govern
ment service. But this is only a
partial explanation, and the real rea-
SON goes deeper than that. Youth has
largely lost interest in these sports
for the time being. The greater game
Of war is absorbing their thoughts to
the exclusion of lesser sports. Mean
while maturer age plays golf as en-
Enthusiastically as ever, and new clubs
and high priced balls are much in de-
mand. Among grown up men folks
sacrifices of habits and pleasures are
not easily made, wher.in they differ
radically from the young who still
have their ideals undimmcd.
The Call of the Auto
It is one Of the interesting phases of
! the situation that dealers in a,ton a.