Pueblo chieftain., 1921-04-10
The Grin
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

By Frederic j. ttaSkln.
Washington, d. c., April For five
years the customer has been smiling
appealingly- at the girl or the man be-
hind the counter, hoping to get a lit
tie attention from that proud being.
Now the smile has migrated. The
sales-person is the supplicating one,
and the customer has once more as
sumed his proper attitude of arrogant
independence.
We are now in a transition period.
Pictorially speaking. the merchant is
sliding down steep hill toward low
prices, trying desperately to make
a gradual descent Meanwhile, tho
public stands afar off, meditatively con-
sidering how long it will be before ne
hits bottom. We could so further and
describe the storm of unemployment
which is about to break over the un-
suspecting thinkers head If he hest
tates too long, and numerous other
details, but the analogy grows compli-
Gated.
The point is that the buyer has
changed in character from an eagerly
reckless customer to very cautious
one who demands to be shown. This
change in the attitude of the buying
public has been noted by the editors OF
d
further substantiated by the mer-
chants themselves. All of them seem
to be taking trouble to please custo-
mers And many are increasing their
overhead expenses for service, at a
time when every possible economy Is
being practised in store management.
This last is brought out by an in
quiry Just made by the Domestic Dis
tribution Department of the United
States Chamber of Commerce. MT.
Dodd, the head of tho department,
sent questionnaires to merchants all
over the country in order to find out
how they are meeting the proposition
Of declining prices. In the 1850 answers
received. he learned that very few
shopkeepers are making any cuts in
service. Rest rooms. quick delivery
service. credit, instructors in fancy
Work, and other attractions are to be
continued and in many cases new ones
added.
These are the usual methods of max
ing store attractive, but Mr.. Dodd
has a new suggestion for the same
purpose of Interesting buyers. 1t is
that merchants should take the public
into their confidence and make plain
the why and wherefore of the middle
man. overhead expense, bargain sales.
and price levels.
and business long ago saw the wis
dom Of showing the people exactiy
how they worked. It va. figured for
instance. that II telephone patrons
knew how mapx.--coanacti0nSn were
made. and realized the human ele-
mcnt In telephone system. there
would be fewer hasty. irasciblc COM
plaints-and there were.
Publicity fer store Methods
Now. Mr. Dodd explains, people are
demanding to know how costs are
fixed and why prices have been
doubled or trebled between producer
and consumer. They want to know
why tho cost of living. which rose as
per cent between 1914 and 1890. should
have fallen so far only 20 per cent
Tho public is asking why prices do
not come down faster and who Is
getting tho profits IL the merchant. Is
losing money. as no says he Is. And
1t is partly because these questions
arc not being answered. or arc
anSwered so confusingly by different
people. that the bewildcrcd buyer set
ties down to see IL prices will not
reach the desired normalcy before he
has to buy.
All of the troubles OF the merchant.
and his opportunities for profitcerinE
as we'll, should be thoroly explained
would make for greater honesty to-
ward the consumer. and n more rea-
sonable attitude toward the merchant
The instability of markets is 10 con-
fusirg to the buyer now that a little
Of Mr.. Dodd's open diplomacy would
be welcomed by many of the ultimate
consumers. His QUESTIONABLE sheds
some rays OF light on the retailers $
side Of tho problem. so We mention
the $50 answers.