Connecticut western news., 1922-09-21

OpeAdIINe dSSOCIdLlOn take ms pldCo. Anyone who studies the problem,
 however, must realize the shortsight-
 edness of such plan. Both the
 chain store and the cooperative asso- citation are all right, but would we care to give any single organization 1 a monopoly of our distribution?
 "Then there is another phase of
 the retail. situation for which you
 and l as consumers are to blame
 the truth is we have grown lazy. We
 want our goods brought to the door,
 we want to run charge accounts, we
 want to have wide variety of styles
 and grades of goods to pick from.
 When our wives select a pair of
 shoes they insist upon having twenty
 we buy sugar we prefer to have it
 come in a pasteboard box of the par
 ticular size which best suits our fancy; and so on turnout the line. But these things cost money. They are nice but are they essential? If we knew we could get good shoes for 25 % less, would we not be will ing to do with a smaller variety to choose from? Certainly we should not grumble over the high cost of living, while we continually demand service which is increasing the cost of the things we buy.
 "The day is coming when this problem of distribution will be work ed out. Just as the development of our producing machinery has taken years, so the development of the best distributing methods must take years to complete. Such changes come about gradually. Right now, how ever, there are three things we can do to help solve the problem and cut down retail price.
 CD Urge the government to ex- tend it's services to the retail field so | that the retailer can have the same | information and the same assistance from scientific research as 1 the producer now enjoys.
 CD When buying, select popular grades of goods and avoid freakish styles. Encourage simplifcation of | Pay cash for your goods and if possible carry them home yourself. Don't insist upon exchange privileges.
 (3) Select one good retail store | which will give you reliable service and stick to it. By this l mean take one grocery store, one meat market, one clothing store, etc. As long as the store you have selected gives you good service stay with it and boost it. If consumers will follow this policy they will automatically build up the desirable stores and eliminate the inferioy retailers who now are sustained only by a careless, tran sient trade.
 "I know that many people are- saying hard things about the retail er just now. Much of the criticism, however, comes from those who do 1ot understand the facts. Many re- tailers have been short-sighted in his period of readjustment. They lave hesitated> to take losses in order 70 keep pace with lower replacement costs. We, however, only do our selves injury by careless and des- ructive criticism.
 1hS 1CIdlISI udS ldu IIGLu6uuOuS { problems not the least of which nave been the knocks we have given Jim. Most retailers are stumbling Ilong, dazed by the rapid changes in conditions and blindly fearful of what the next season will bring forth. At present, we are on the very eve If a general business improvement, 'ut the retailer is not in a mental attitude to prepare for it. He hould be going into the fall business ike fighting cock, but instead his attitude is fearful and defensive. 1e should be laying in a large stock if goods to meet the increased de- hand and guard against shortage ater this fall. It is up to us to get ehind him and encourage him. Let IS cease destructive criticism and urn our efforts toward building up he retailers who are giving us the nost efficient service. Quit roast ng and try boostinpp"