Great Falls tribune., 1921-12-23

Washington, D. G., Dec. 18.-The
outstanding fact about the retail mar
ket these days is the variation you can
discover in the price asked for exactly
the same article at different stores.
Some retailers are apparently trying
to stand pat on war time prices, while
others are trying to build up their
trade and hasten the turnover By sell
Ing at the lowest prices they can. No
doubt, too, the retail price varies
widely because the wholesale prices,
at which goods now in stores were
bought, also vary. Some retailers
have goods in stock bought at war
time wholesale prices, and they are
holding them for a price that will
give them at least their money back.
Others, who bought more cautiously,
have the same articles purchased at
somewhat lower rates.
Whatever the reasons for this vari-
ETY. of price on the same article, it
certainly exists, and it creates an ur,-
usual opportunity for the resourceful
and determined shopper to find what
he is looking for at low price. In
cidentally, the fact that in the same
town the same article is sold for three
or four different prices shows that
most people are not resourceful and
determined shoppers. While con-
stantiy protesting against high prices
they, as a rule, tamely pay whatever
the retailer demands, and they make
no special effort to patronize the man
who offers goods at low price.
They buy where they are accustomed
to buying, and would rather pay few
cents or dollars more than walk few
blocks farther. This is undoubtedly
much more true Of men than OF
women.
Ciqarsttes at Three Prices
Take for example, such prepond-
erantiy male trade as that IN toDac-
the prices charged for the same ar
ticle is observable. In this city, for
example, there is a certain brand Of
cigarettes which may be purchased at
II, Is or 20 cents box. There are
just about as many places selling them
at one price as at either Of the others.
But all places seem to be doing an
equally good business in them. 1t
would seem that the cigarette-smoker
buys where he is accustomed to buy
ing and that saving of Is per cent is
net enough to induce him to change his
habits. In this case, there is not much
to induce the retailer to lower MS
price. If low price brought flood
Of trade and high price produced a
prompt boycott, it is extremely prob
able that the average Of retail prices
would fall.
In another case brand of trade
marked and nationally advertised khaki
trousers, widely used by sportsmen,
was priced at three different stores.
The prices were $3.50, 1926 and $500.
Likewise, large hardware store want
ed $3.50 for a certain hand-ax. which
is trade-marked. A smaller place sold
the same tool for S1.65. It is safe to
say that many more of them are sold
at the higher price than at the lower.
Sporting goods are an instructive IL
lustration of the shopping habits of
men. These goods are bought almost
exclusively by men. There are about
100000 such men in this country
who go afield, and the industry which
caters to their wants is a large one.
1t supports in typical city of half
million people, five or six stores de
voted exclusively to such goods. The
prices charged for these goods vary
from 10 to so per cent. The leading