Evening star., 1926-02-09
RETAIL BUYERS PUT |
IN SMALL ORDERS.
Convention Delegates, How
ever, Think 1926 Outlook Is
Exceptionally Bright.
BY j. C. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

NEW YORK, February 9.-There
are more buyers for retail merchandls-
ing organizations here today than at
any other previous time. That 1s the
estimate made by wholesalers, manu-
facturers and jobbers, who say the
out of town representatives of retail
trade are making purchases which III
the aggregate bulk larger than those
of a year ago The orders. however.
are numerous rather than large, ana
selection is made carefully with strict
attention to price and expectation ot
snappy attention on deliveries.
Most of the buyers also are delegates
to the convention of the National Re-
tail Dry Goods Association, which met
here today. The merchants ave prac-
tically unit in declaring that retail
business for 1926 will be exceptionally
active. Both industrial districts and
agricultural sections are evidencing an
active demand for goods.
Trade Movement Heavy.
The present movement of trade,
they say, indicates that the volume
Of business for the first quarter will
exceed that done In January, f'ebru-
airy and March, 1925, by at least 10
per cent. Many declare, however,
that their margins of profit will be
slightly lower this year. They ex-
rect that increase in earnings will be
slightly smaller up to midyear than
increase in sales volume.
Retail merchants admit that while
the general volume of business should
he satisfactory, all are not going TO
benefit alike from the high buying
power of the country. That is the
reason they are devoting the attention
of their convention to the problem or
building up good viii. \ good many
of them had excellent opportunity
Monday OF finding out just what the
problems are. AS buyers, they en-
countered the wholesale sIlesmen, and
many Il taxi door slammed behind a
buyer who muttered to himself, That
man couldn't sell me a palm leaf fan
under the Equator"
Sales Training Needed.
The majority Of the personnel eX-
perts attending the convention express
the belief that the main need IS better
education and training for the sales
forces. Some of the merchants agreed
with the statement published today
from Henry Ford. which said the way
to check a threatened business depres
sion was To cut prices and increase
wages. but expressed doubt that 1t
could bc ada pied To retail merchandise
ing They all are eager and deter
mined to work out plans for the elimi-
nation of waste. which will enable
them to sell st the lowest possible
prices.
The value of good will and the cost
of i'll will was strikingly illustrated
today by the report of the Peoples
Gas Light and coke Co. of Chicago.
Samuel insult. president, stated that
the concern had sold 33.S06. Asa 900
cubic feet Of gas in the last year.
This advance. which amounted to 13
per cent for industrial uses alone, as
compared with the previous year, is
attributed by many TO resentment of
consumers against coal producers and
dealers.
Results of Coal Strike
This resentment is even keener i'll
the Eastern States as "a result OF con-
ditious produced by the anthracite
strike. Prices of bituminous and
coke have been jumped to exorbitant
heights. and when the acute need for
substitute for anthracite are over
customers are expected TO turn in
large numbers TO gas and oil. The
retailers of bituminous coal and coke
blame the producers, and the pro-
ducers place the onus on the dis
tributorS. but the fact remains that
coke. which usually sells at So q ton
at the ovens. is retailing at ST and
SIS. while bituminous formerly priced
at $50 Il ton Is selling anywhere
from $40 up.
The use of gas since January l.
it Is estimated, has increa sed s per
cent at least above that for the cor
responding period Of 1925. Consump-
ton is now approaching 10000. .000.-
600 cubic feet a year in this country.
serving over 00O0. 900 separate CON
sumers. At present there are in op-
Grafton about 10.o00. 900 domestic gas
cooking appliances, 4.50o 900 space
heaters and $4,000 water heaters.
Copyright 1926