The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-04-09


five years the customer has bssn
smiling appealingly at the girl or
the man behind the counter. hoping
to get q little attention from that
proud being. Now the smile has
migrated. The sales-person Is the
| duplicating one, and the customer
has once more assumed his proper
attitude Of arrogant Independence.
We are now In transition per-
iod. Pictorially speaking. the mer-
chant Is sliding down a steep hill
toward low prices. trying desper-
ately to make gradual descent.
Meanwhile, the public stands afar
off, meditatively considering how
long 1t will be before he hits bot
tom. We could 90 further and de-
scribe the storm Of unemployment
which IL about to break over the
unsuspecting thinkers head II he
hesitates too long, and numerous
other details, but the ANALOGY
grows complicated.
The point is that the buyer has
changed in character from an Gag
erly reckless customer to a very
cautious one who demands to be
shown. This change in the attitude
Of the buying public has been noted
by the editors Of number Of trade
journals. 1t 10 further substanu-
ated by the merchants themselves.
All Of them seem to be taking trou-
BILE to please customers. And many
are increasing their overhead ex-
penses for service. at a time when
every possible economy 10 being
practiced in store management.
This last il brought out by an in
quiry just made by the domestic
distribution department of the
United States chamber Of commerce.
Mr.. Dodd, the head Of the depart
ment, sent Questionnaires to mer-
chants 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 shopkeepera
are making any cuts In service,
Rest rooms, quick delivery service
credit, instructors in fancy work
and other attractions are to be con-
tinued and in many cases new onea
added.
These are the usual methods OF
making 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 middleman, overhead ex.
pense, bargain sales, and price lev.
els.
Some other branches Of industry
and business long ago saw the wis.
dom of showing the people exactly
how they worked. 1t was figurel
for instance, that II telephone pat
rons knew how connections wert
made, and recognized the human ell
ement in telephone system, there
would be fewer hasty, irascible com.
plaints-and there were.
Publicity for Store Methods.
/ Now, Mr.. Dodd explains, people
are demanding to know how cost.
are fixed and why prices have beer
doubled or trebled between pro
Queer and consumer. They wan
to know why the cost of living
which rose SO per cent between 1871
and 1920. should have fallen SO IA
only 20 per cent. The public il
asking why prices do not conn
down faster and who is getting tn,
profits if the merchant is losing
money, as he says he is. And it il
partly because these questions ar
not being answered, or are ans
|wered SO confusingly by differen
people, that the bewildered buye
settles down to see il prices will no
reach the desired normally befor,
he has to buy.
All the troubles of the merchant
and his opportunities for profiteer
ing as we'll, should be thorough!
explained to the public, Mr.. Dodt
believes. This would make To-
greater honesty toward the custo
mer, and a. more reasonable atti
tude toward the merchant
The instability OF markets Is g,
confusing to the buyer now tina
little of Mr.. Dodd's open diplom
acy would be welcomed by man.