Evening journal., 1918-02-20
FINDING THE WEAK
SPOTS IN BUSINESS
Mr.. Fisk Tells Merchants
How TO Get the Best
Results
STORE ANALYSIS
VITAL, HE SAYS

~Tlnding the Ntdh ppotof was e"N
sub,ect discussed at the Merchants In
stitute at the Hotel dupont last night.
James w. Fish. Of Hobokcn, \. j., was
the principal speaker and more than
80 merchants and store and depart
ment managers were present. Mr.. FISK
delved into the subject with wonderful
eficiency In. his Introductory re-
marks ne said that there were probably
too many retail stores In this country
FOR the good OF either the country or
the storekeepers. For each Y inhabi- |
tants in the United States there was /
one retail store. The estimate includes /
infants and inmates Of houses OF deten- /
ton. These retail stores said Mr.. /
Fisk. "are probably 0verstocked, or at
least 90 per cent. Of them, due TO the
cry OF shortage that went the rounds
Of the country at the entrance OF the
United States into the great war. the
speaker advised merchants to study
the purchasing public and learn the
publlc's demand. Ninety per cent. OF
the sales made today are made by wo-
men and the sales OF the other iO per
cent. are controlled by the gentler sex.
he said.
He declared that an adequate want
assistance I'm deciding the selection OF
stocks. not because It meant that mer-
chants should buy everything that was
returned on the want slips, but that II
would serve to indicate the trend OF
the purchasing publics shopping de-
sires One OF the weak spots, he said,
was that stocks were not bought right
in many instances and not the kind
wanted by the people at the time they
wanted Il. lie urges buyers to make
their stock purchases with due regard
TO their selling ability, and on this line
indicated that another weak spot was
that store records were not always OF
a character which would give the mer-
chant cold reliable facts upon which
10 predicate his decisions In the con-
duct OF his business. Bookkeeping
usually Is a matter Of history upon
which 10 Is impossible to Judge the fu-
ture. What every store should have was
system by which the merchant could
tell at a glance over his records what
the store as unit was doing; what
sales are being made: what merchan-
disc was going out and what was being
paid for. because, after all, no goods
were sold until they had been paid for,
and what capital was being tied up
for long periods in charge accounts
and therefore not working to Its full
capacity.
"Too little consideration Is ofttimes
given TO employment methods" said
Mr.. Fisk. "a recent analysis OF a large
New York store showed that there were
is6 Jobs there, each requiring different
characteristics, physical or mental, IN
salespeople. These should be selected
with due regard for their physical ca
pacity to perform the duties for which
they were employed. For Instance, a
person physically unable TO lift a bolt
OF cloth should not be employed In that
department, neither should very fat
person be employed In a shoe depart
ment where he could not stOOp TO NJ
shoes. There are 40 attributes which
the ideal salesman should have but II
any OF us had them ALL we would be So
good that we would not remain on this
earth very long"
Mr.. FISK delyed deeply into personal
supervision OF stores by merchants and
the absolute necessity OF either the
merchant doing this himself or OF dele
eating both the authority and the re-
sponsibility to some trusted employC
who should render immediate and ac.
curate reports. Each person present
was furnished with a copy Of the OF
fered questionable, after which the
session resolved itself into a rounC
table discussion OF the questions given
The questionable follows:
MANY OF the more successful chair
stores have inspectors who visit eaci
store two, three or more times durln.
the year and go over its affairs ac
cordlng to a definite outline. Some o
the large metropolitan stores hav
adopted similar plans. II II Is practlc
able and profitable for these executive
to thus analyze their businesses, !
should be profitable for you.
1T Is therefore suggested that yol
use this outline for that purpose to
day, and that after you have answers
It's questions by actually finding on
what conditions exist. you go over tn
answers carefully and begin applyin
remedies at once. or that you write m
for ideas used In other stores tina
may help solve your problem.
"i. Is the sidewalk in front OF IN
store clean?
80. Does the store front need clean
ing or painting?
80. Is the awning dirty, unsightly O
in need OF repairsg
.. are bne WlhuoWS Viodh al
bright?
IS. Is there sufficient light in III
windows and are the lighting fixture
so arranged as not to take attentio
from the goods? Is your front as we
lighted as your competitors?
&c. Are your show windows 70
crowded. Is the display fresh an
clean? Has II a sufficient number {
price tickets and window cardsG Al
any Of the goods solled or faded? HaN
any OF the goods for other reasor
been displayed too long? DO the goo'
shown go well together? Is there
sufficient showing Of profitable lines
Is the display seasonableg Has 1t
definite purpose as TO dispose OF owe
stocks or call attention TO new good:
Is 10 harmonious In colOr2 Is II pc
feet from a huslness-gettlng as we'll
an artistic standpoint? How many
the passers-by look at the window
This can easily be determined
counting those who pass your sto
from 10 TO 1914 a. m. and TO 3.i5
m. on any day. and noting how MAJ
look at the windows.
~. If you have outside show case
are their displays clean and complei
or has something been taken out TO 81
and not replaced Are they well llgh
ed? Are they supplied with necessa
price tickets or explanatory cards?
IS. Are all show cases and shelly
.n--...-t.-..t A.. eIora o1aor, and xpa1l .