Evening star., 1925-02-13
DRY GOODS PRICES
TO REMAIN STEADY
Public Resists Advances,
Merchants Say-Better
SaIesmanship Needed.
BY J. c. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. February 13.-Prac-
| tically every dollar spent over the
counters of the stores of the United
States this year will have "for value
received" pasted on It. That Is the
consensus Of opinion expressed by the
merchants from all over the country
now here attending the convention OF
the National Retail Drygoods Asso-
citation.
These men, with their fingers con-
stantly on the buying pulse Of the
public, are thoroughly confident that
1925 will be prosperous year. They
expect to do a heavy volume OF busi-
ness. But they are not looking for any
boom" and anticipate no buying
orgy. such as took place in 1919 and
1920. The public. they say, has re-
laxed not one whit in its resistance
| to advancing prices. Buyers expect to
get full value for every cent they
spend.
Materials Are Higher.
Prices for materials, on the other
hand, are going up. Manufacturing
costs are little, II any. lower. Yet mer-
chants feel that even a comparatively
moderate advance in cost to the con-
sumer is likely to check demand, al
though there is ample buying power
in the country, with industry active
and employment general. The mer-
chants therefore are laying out a
policy with these conditions in view.
They are paying strict attention to
closer methods OF buying and better
! methods Of selling. Through these
means they expect to be able to oper-
ate on narrower margin OF prof1t
than ever before and to obviate as
I Ia
price increases. Competition will be
keen and the successful merchant,
they say. is the one who can operate
on the most economical basis.
CombInat ton Buying.
The trend toward combination of
various stores in different sections
for buying is unmistakable. Already
eight larger concerns throughout the
East have formed such an organiZa-
ton. The men who are operating 1t
declare that 1t does not hamper the
| individuality of any single store and
permits the special needs Of each dis
trict to be cared for and at the same
time aliows purchases to be made in
large quantities and low prices.
Merchants also are working out
plans on the relation OF the different
activities characteristic Of every re-
tail business-advertisin merchan-
dising, service and records. They ex-
pect to bring more concerted action
into the business as result. De-
partment. store owners placed them
selves strongly on record for main
tenance of honest advertising prac-
tces. They have determined not only
to avoid untruths but any semblance
of untruth and to curtail the use of
superlativee.
Urges More Truth.
Until the sense of truth is injected
into merchandising and buying" said
T. P. Comeford, advertising director
OF large Eastern store. stores will
never get where they belong in ad-
vertising truth. Store buyers must
realize they are responsible for
truthful statements in advertising
1t Is the duty OF the advertising de-
partments to Undue the whole or
ganization Of the store with the idea
that a statement not absolutely true
should not be made in ADVERTISING
copy"
Merchants are striving vigorously
to improve service to the consumer
Such service is the foundation of
good will and for success in the re-
tail business" said Lew Hahn, man
aging director OF the association, to-
day. land service depends on the
well directed efforts OF human beings
within the business Coordination of
the duties of individuals in a retail
store In a way to increase effective
ness OF service is what we are after"
Better Service Desired.
Strong efforts will be made from
now on by merchants to instruct sales
people in the essential facts about
the goods they sell, so that those
articles may be properly presented to
customers. The delegates here are
unanimous In desire to have their
employees courteous. willing and tact
full, but they add that they know of
no new way to make them so except
through steady continued training.