Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-20
FOOD PRICES
AND PROFITS

An interesting study of food prices
and profits has recently been made
by a group Of business and profess
sional women in Virginia in which in
formation, gathered from different
sections of the State for comparing
prices and wholesale and retail per-
centagc of profits in different Virginia
cities, has been compiled. In order to
take into consideration summer and
fall conditions, the prices quoted are
those of the months of August and
November, 1921. This compilation
has been made by the Virginia FEEDER
alton of Business and Professional
Women's Clubs in the interest of low
err prices since the business depres-
sion has resulted in lowered incomes
and salaries to many of its members
without corresponding reduction III
the cost of living.
Since women are the main buyers
of food products and since business
women are in touch with conditions
affecting prices, this compilation has
been of the keenest interest to the
business and professional women
throughout the State, especially be-
cause a large proportion of the
women undertaking it were house
keepers. The information from
which the tables of prices were COM
piled is at the headquarters of the
Virginia Federation of Business and
Professional Women's Clubs, Hotel
Richmond, Richmond, Va, and can be
seen by anyone interested in this
Labor and production conditions
have been in such an abnormal state
for the past year that it is impossible
to make any accurate compilation of
farmers profits, but, as far as could
be ascertained, the farmers have, as
rule, sold at low margin of profit,
ard in some instance at loss, and
seem, as a class, to have borne the
brunt of the loss in the shaking down
of reconstruction prices.
It will be seen that the whole
saler's profit is in every case smaller
than the retailers, and, although 1t is
realized that the latter is at the heav-
Ter overhead expense, it is neverthe-
less evident that the retailer usually
has the 'long end" of the profits of
food trading. Fluctuating market
conditions also affect the retailer less
than the wholesaler, VINO must con-
slider the element Of risk involved IN
handling large quantities.
1t will also been seen how widely
both prices and profits differ in the
same State on the same date. In
August white potatoes sold in a lex
ardria for As 1-2c peck wholesale, IN
Roanoke SIC, in Petersburg % LIE,
while the retail price in Alexandria
was 75c peck with retail profit of
60 per cent, in Roanoke soc a peck,
with retail profit of 60 per cent, and
in Petersburg at Csc a peck, giving the
retailer % per cent profit. In Rich
mond in November, under cooler con-
ditions, when produce could be moved
more gradually, and in consequence
the effect of spoilagc upon prices was
not appreciable, potatoes were selling
wholesale for ~ 1-2c peck and re
failing for soc a peck, with retail
er's profit of IS per cent. This staple
article is selected because of the con-
sistent demand for it and its compar-
atively low overhead cost. To show
that business can be carried on at
small margin of profit on an article
for which there is a steady demand,
attention is called to the low retail |
profit on -four, which varies from 6 |
per cent in Alexandria to 30 per cent.