Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18
Preparing Home for Santa Claus

! merrily-he must call upon the stores
electricians to run new wiring here
and there, to put in new plugs and
switches, or connect up musical nov
elites with hidden monographs.
Eventually the stage is set for a
| phenomenal six or eight week run
| to crowded houses-crowded up to the
last minute. when the curtain rings
| down on Christmas eve. The mer.
chandise purchased at home and
abroad has been pouring in for
months; warehouses and stockrooms
are filed, and clerks have been busy
checking and rechecking merchandise.
| bills, invoices and order books. Next
| the sales machinery must be inspect.
| ed, and, of course, the stores usual
sales force would be absolutely unable
| to cope with the increased Christmas
| trade. The average department store
will increase this force from 80 to
nearly 100 per cent. Part of this
contingent force may have had de-
partmcnt store experience. but these
who have not are put under the in
struction of the educational depart.
ment, and for several days are taught
how to make out sales checks, and
given hints on the broad principles
of good craftsmanship. They are then
turned over to the experienced clerks
of the departments, to whom they are
assigned for instruction as to the loca-
ton of the various kinds of stock
which that particular department
handles.
What glorious feeling the Christ
mas gift hunter experiences when he
Christmas list, has dutifully carried
small packages" home with him, as
requested; has ordered the rest of
his gift purchases sent. and has moth
ing further to worry about save
fear that the packages may not be
delivered on time. He might gain
a better understanding Of what the
department stores delivery system
has to do to play Santa Claus, leav.
ing all the packages at the right
doors at the right time. If he could
take peep into the warehouses OF
one of these big stores. He would
see elevators and shoots sending down
packages from the warerooms above.
He would see sorters marking the
numbers of the proper routes upon
the various packages, and sending
them Swimming along on the broad
moving belts, where sorters whisk
them off and slip them into lockers
according to route numbers.
Each locker has it's outside as well
cs it's inside door. and 1t is to the
outside doors that the truck drivers
back up their wagons-each truck
has it's appointed route. the route
number corresponding with the num-
Der ON the locker door. With $4,000
or more packages handled each day.
going through careful checking and
rechecking that there may be as few
errors as possible, the delivery sys-
tenn of a big department store is far
more efficient than many people
imagine.
At Christmas time the warehouse
force, including the drivers, Is aug
mented at least so per cent. One is
apt to picture the tired and weary
drivers finishing up with the last
package delivered some time around
the gray hours of early daybrcak
Christmas morning. This is not the
case. The last days delivery Is com.
paratsvely light. and though the driv.
ers and wagon jumpers are naturally
tired, they are glad to know that. as
far as they could help matters along.
no one should be disappointed--and
so the Christmas story OF big de-
partment store Is ended.