Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-11-29
ROLLING STORES.
BIT FREDERIC J. HAsKN
Especial Correspondence Of The Argus


BIZ FREDERIC J. HAsKN.
Especial Correspondence Of The Argus).
New York, Nov IA new and picturesque
weapon for defeating the high cost Of living
has recently been developed in New York. It
is known a. the Rolling Store.
A rolling store is q large truck. drawn by
two giant horses. and filled with huge stacks
Of dry groceries. which rolls into neighbor-
hood 1t the early hour OF In the morning
and thereafter does rapid business until =
O'Clock 1t night. Il sells Its products at prices
ranging from Is to 10 per cent lower than
those being charged by tine stationary grocery
stores, thereby earning unfriendly criticisms
from those sources. blessings from the house.
wives, and the hearty commentator OF the
New York commissioner Of markets.
Ninsty-six Of these rolling stores are now
operating throughout New York and Brooklyn
and George II. Salmon, vice president OF the
North American Export company, who 10 do
,ng the operating, says that IN another month
there will DO two hundred Of them. The de-
maud for them from neighborhoods In which
they have not yet appeared Is 80 great tnal
one person 10 kept busy simply answering the
telephone calls OF housewives. who are indlg-
nant because their districts have been slighted.
I'VE are here to reduce the nigh cost OF
living" 10 the red-lettered message which the
rolling store bears on its grey-awninged side,
and beneath that there is a list OF the sup
plies 1t carries with their prices. The other
DAY this list included bacon at "a cents; best
candled eggs Sc cents; can Of pork and beans
weighing nearly three pounds I'm cents; best
coffee IS cents; can of tomatoes II cents; peas
mo. % Is cents; can OF corn, IL cents, ana
rice fancy Blue Rose) Is cents.
Buying from a rolling store is much like
buying from a cafeteria. First you look at
the price list, then you help yourself to what
you want, with the assistance OF an extremel
busy salesman, knowing perfectly well before
hand what the total cost of the purchases is
going to be. In most stationary groceries IN
new York you cannot do this. The prices are
not listed on the wall, and when the clerk
finally adds the total up on paper bag, show
ing that butter or eggs or coffee have taken
q sudden leap in price, you have no evidence
upon which to contradict him. customer
usually leaves rolling store not only with
the pleasant sense of having secured bargaa-
but with the virtuous conviction that he mas
aided in a great civic movement. He has
helped, as the rolling store points out, Mayor
Hylan to knock the h out OF the h. c.l."
The first rolling store was startsd about
the first of October, merely as an experiment
No one was certain as to how it would be re-
ceived, but the results were SO satisfactory
that 10 more stores we're added every week
ana IOuf W8IcuOUS6 teIWluAlS u supply tue
stores were opened in New York. While the
stores have not been able to bring back those
marvellous days before the war when the nickel
still had q separate and distinct existence, they
have brought about surprising reduction in
prices.
Our object" says Mr.. Salmon, "is not to
compete with merchants who are selling gro
ceries st reasonable prices. 1t is merely to
drive out profteers. We 90 into neighbor-
hood where we feel foodstuffs are costing toe
much, and we stay until we have driven the
proiteers to reducing their prices. Then we
move on to another neighborhood.
| For instance when we first started oper-
ating most storekeepers were selling peas and
corn at from Is to % cents can. We started
selling the same kind OF peas and corn at 1:
cents can, and the result was that the store.
keepers then reduced Their products to II cents
can. We knew that they were losing money
at that pr.ce-that the move was directed
against US. But, as matter Of fact, 1t did moi
hurt us the least bit. For we simply ceased
selling peas and corn for the time being ant
replaced them with other cheaper products"
The rolling stores are able to sell goods
at reduced prices for various reasons. In ths
first place. they do not have the large over
head expense which must be met by the ordi
nary grocery store. Their selling force is con
fined to two young men, one Of whom Is aist
the truck driver. and neither Of whom waste!
any time IN perSuading customers to buy goods
At rolling store, you can either take it Of
leave it. No one cares whether you buy foot
or not, because there are too many anxioul
housewives waiting to grab whatever is lef
over.
In the second place, the North American
Export company has purchasing power O
half a million dollars behind it, which enables
1t to take advantage Of all cash discounts an,
to buy in large quantities direct from the pro
Queer. According to Mr.. Salmon this facto
alone permits them to make saving of s.
cents on the dollar-a saving which usual,
Is absorbed by middlemen and clumsy method
Of distribution.
"The chief purpose Of the rolling store" h
says. "is to reduce the cost of living and I,
provide employment for returned soldiers an,
sailors All Of our employees are men who>hav
Just come out Of uniform" y
"Of course" declares Mr. Salmon, 1.-THE com
pany does not yet know what the profits will
be in this proposition. 1t will not pay, Ger
4 tainly, until we have 200 stores operatine
We are convinced, however, that such a plal
can be made to pay in dollars and cents, an
yet the customer will not be obliged to pa
the high prices which he must submit to in tn
regular stores"