Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-12
RETAIL CLOTHING
PRICE SITUATION
Reductions by Wholesalers
Not Applicable to Stock
Now in Stores.

Reduction in the wholesale prices
Of clothing. as announced by tele.
graph from clothing manufacturing
centers. has no direct bearing upon the
retail prices offoday, according to state
n,ents OF local clothing retailers.
The reason is, they point out, that
the stocks which they are now SELL
ing and must continue to sell for Inc
next few months were contracted Tor
some time ago at the then pre'aii-
ing high wholesale prices No rebates
are allowed by the manufacturers. 1t
is explained, to enable the retaiiers ~
make reductions in retail prices IN
keeping with any reductions no"
made in wholesale prices
Heavy Reductions Made.
Investigation by the better bust
ness bureau of the Advertising CiuD
of Washington shows that the retaii
merchants of Washington are seli!hs
merchandise which they contrac.eu
for SIN 10 nine months ago, at the
then prevailing prices. at very neavy
reductions, according to +. ~ mol
ley director of the bureau
Mr.. Wholley's Investigation was
made as the result of the appearance
OF a recent news story to the eueSt
that clothing manufacturer In
Rochester. n. Y, had announced
reduction of 80 is per cent.
1t is developed that local mer-
chants are in no position to MAKE
such reductions on present STOCKS
which they purchased at the prevail
ing high cost themselves, and whicn
must now be sold at a loss before the
merchants can purchase more.
I'VE find that the merchants mere
in many cases are selling at ngure
t,er lar &c
plus the necessary overhead, ana IN
many instances we find that staple
articles are being sold for less than
actual cost We md that the retail
merchants in most instances are 10
ing their utmost to reduce prices 70
losses throughout the reimbursement.
continued Nj. wholley. He further
stated: :
The Better Business Bureau has
investigated the truth OF certain state
n1ents issued by w. L. Mohr OF the
United Clothiers, Inc, which recently
appeared, in which he implied tnae
staple clothes were being offered oy
manufacturers at exaggerated ons-
counts. This has been carefuity m
vestigeted in Rochester and Cnic2So.
and we have received wires from
number of the largest manufacturers,
in which they deny that any condi-
lions have arisen in the manuIactur-
ing condition or labor situation whlcn
would warrant such discounts at TINS
time The merchandise offered by
Mohr. who appears to be Joboer. are
remnants and cleanouts and undesr-
able merchandise, which at this sea,
son of the year is, and always mas
been. offered at heavy discount.
Charles E. Wry. secretary OF the
National Association of Clothiers,
wires: statement by Mohr not based
on facts Of general conditions IN CLOTH
ing trade. Many clothing manufac-r
turers, as Is the case at end OF sea-
sons. are closing out surplus stocks:
at discounts varying according to de-
STABILITY Of merchandise. some unde-
sirable goods that no one wants nat
urally being offered at larger dis
counts. Manufacturing costs not yet
materially 1essened. Every one ex-
spring, but no one qualified now to
say what percentage, because no rep
resentatives lines are yet quoted on
showing spring goods"
ID. ]. KanfmanAs Statement.
D. J. Kaufman, representative mer-
chant, made the following statement:
agreeable to your request for .
statement regarding the present con-
markets Of mems clothing and other
wsarine aPR.rel I beg to set f9rth
your paper on Tuesday evening last
carried q box ON the front page stat
ing that one OF the mems clothing
manufacturers Of Rochester. N T.,
had announced q reduction of So 1-3
FER cent. AS to the facts in this case,
] am not in . position to speak an
thentically. However, even II This re-
duetion ie true; u has no bearing on
the cost to the retailers Of stocks OF
merchandise contracted for . six
months ago. received in August and
September, and for which they paid
the very peak prices. =. .ss..-ss.
'.As for the manner In which We
have merchandised our goods this sea-
SON. we beg to gtate thzt We marked
our goods with 80 short m1rk-up
that In ordinary eeaSons the. 1nnas
would have been considered uuWtee
for safety. This was done for the
purpose OF putting our goods before
tie public at no more than they paid
last year and, in some cases, less, al
though they cost Us from Is to IS per
cent more
Fright now We are selling our
sfocks-in order to meet the insistent
demand for lower prices-at prices
that do not meet the invoice cost plus
the operating costs to handle it. This
makes the retail price today as low
and lower than IL we had bought at q
reduction of 30 per cent. We believe
merchants throughout the country are
doing likewise. This Is the whole
truth Of the situation, and the pub
lie should know It,"