Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-08-04
HIGH PRICES
FOR CANDIES
DARK SECRET
Neither Manufacturer Nor Re-
taller Will Admit Re-
spOnsibility.
BUCK PROMPTLY PASSED

Passing the high price candy buck has
become the popular pastims Of manu-
fscrursrs, Wholesalers and. retailers Of
eonfsctions Ia Indianapolis, and the
speed with which the little pea passed
from one shell to another in the good
old days Of unrestricted bancc games has
nothing at all on the rapidity with which
the buck Of high prices passes from
manufacturer to JobbeF to retailer and
back 20 manufactures again when the in
vestigatoF attempts to trail the elusive
buck TO it's lair.
Each branch Of the candy industry
points en- accusing finger at some other
branch when asked where the response
bility lies for the failure OF high brow
bon bons, democratic chocolate creams
and low brow all day suckers to return
TO that much desired normally Of pre-
war prices, And having pointed -
finger at the other branches of the trade
the particular branch says in choicest
English IT aip't me, they done it,"
MATINEE GIRL
FAAs 34O4-E-
Meantime the matinee girl pays more
for her box Of chocolates, the lovelorn
suftoF has to come across with a larger
percentage Of his earnings to procure "a
box of his swectie'S fayorite sweets. and
the hid on the street finds the upkeep Of
his candy appetite considerably higher
than In those halcyon days before the
war And all this in the face Of the
cheapest sugar the land of the free and
the home Of the prohibitionIsts has
known IN many a long year, and with
cheaper wages for candy workers as well
as fer persons in other lines of Industry
Following q general agitation ice cream
IL Ta-r a
marked inclination to drop, but 50 FAR
the retail candy market has refused to
yield to the trend toward a lower price
level TO any marked extent. Some OF
the larger candy stores in Indianapolis
have cut their prices from 10 10 20 per
cent but IN DO instance is the price with
in reaching distance Of the>pre-war level.
ADMITS 300
PER CENT PROFIT.
A few days ago a chain candy store
company IN New York reduced Its prices
20 per cent and in so doing frankly ad-
rnitfed that for long time candy profits
had been running In the neighborhOod Of
eco per cent. When asked If 800 per cent
represents the profit on candy sold In In
diana polls dealers denied as q general
rule that the profit was anything like
this. sltbough some Of the manufacturers
frankly stated that IN their opinions the
retailer has been guilty Of prohteering
outra geOusly.
As matter Of fact this seems 70 rep
resent the opinion or the majority or
the manufacturers. Their attitude as
whole Is that retail prices should drop
One Of the most outspoken o. the man
ufacturers summed NJ fairly well the
opinions OF many OF them when he said a;
you understand that We cannot be
quoted By name On this matter as our
business lies wholly with the. retailer
We do not maintain retail stores or sell
at retail, and as a result our business
depends upon the good VIII OF the drug
gists, grOcers, cigar stores and OlRer
places handling our goods. Put just
The game there is no doubt but that many
retilers are charging far more for candy
than IS justified by wholesale prices CT
conditions.
RETAILERS SLOW
TO MOVE.
practically all candy manufacturers
have made radical cuts IN the prices Of
their products, but I am sorry TO say
that these prices have not been reflected
IN the retail prices. The retailer too often
simply has attempted TO maintain the
old wartime price level and pocket the
difference between the old and new
Wholesale price.
THE war seemed TO have a very bad
effect psycholOgically on the retailer. not
every retailer, but far too many OF them.
IN the old days the retailer was content
with & margin OF 80 ID to % per cent
on candy. OF course this margin was
greater where the candy was Of an IN
usually perishable character, and he de
pended upon rapid turnover Of his in
vested capital to make a big profit at
the end Of the year.
During the war an unprecedented era
Of high re-an prices set IN. The retailer
found that he could charge just about
what he chose for any Of his goods. The
desire for a large profit on a single sale
took the place Of the sOunder and older
idea Of quick sales, reasonable profits