Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-21
MERCHANTS PLAN
TO CUT EXPENSES
Season OF Expanding Bust.
ness Brings Effort to
Reduce Overhead.

Special Dispatch to The star.

special UHSpatcn TO Ihe Star.
NEW YORK, March 2l.-This first
day OF Spring, with the department
stores filled with customers, Is being
chandisine problems by the retail dis
tributors. They are determined to raise
cficiency and cut overhead.
One OF the chief questions they are
studying today is what impulse makes
customers turn to the right In ma
jority OF cases when they leave an ele-
vator, q stairway, or an eScalator. ALI
lowing the trafic of big store, which
has as definite trends as the movement
Of automobiles on Fifth avenue, to move
all In one direction does not conduce to
the proper presentation Of goods. to
good service to customers, or to max
imum sales.
Information ON Goods.
The merchants are striving vigorously
to find something which will draw OF
least so per cent Of the crowds to the
left when they arrive on q certain floor
Many are trying to solve this problem
by placing the goods for which there
10 greatest call and which have beer
most extensively advertised where Gus.
toners must turn to the left or &C
straight ahead to reach them.
Every day merchants are learning
more about the extraordinary ways Of
customers. They have discovered, &C.
cording to q canvass Of the drug store
trade, that low prices are not the chief
attraction to women buyers. This can
vass puts consideration NTH, behind
cleanliness and attractive appearance
prompt. willing and friendly service
promptness Of delivery and quality.
Merchants are making available for
women more information all the time as
to the situation and quality Of the goods
they buy. There are 10000 900 An,eri-
can housewives buying for the home
and they are learning to DO this 90 EN-
GENTLY as their husbands buy for the
industries In which they are engaged
Women have now been called into the
standards council Of the American
Standards Association. They hope ia
set up minimum grades of quality and
performance for the household mate
rials and appliances.
DR.. Margaret M. Justin, dean Of the
home economics division OF Kansas
State Agricultural College. says this
means long step toward securing from
the housewife definite, accurate, under
staiidAble information concerning the
articles she buys for the home.
Sees Coed Business.
Men are becoming more clothes-con-
scious, according to leaders In the ap-
patel and furnishing trades. Or. Nor.
ris A. BriSco, dean OF the New York
Universit:.' School Of Retailing, predicted
an era Of good business In consequence
TN 1925" he said, ''the total SALE
Of the retail clothiers and furnisherl
totaled $41.000,o00. This was an In.
crease OF 2h per cent over 1897, Ant
there 10 every indication that the totals
for ls2s will equal or exceed those ol
lo2s.
1.-THE last five years have seen some
discrimination on the part OF women ir
the selection Of wearing apparel. Thi!
trend has communicated itself to thu
mems field. During the last year 1t ha.
become noticeable that men have be.
come more careful buyers. This new
force, which must be reckoned with, Il
playing . greater role in the field o,
retailing than ever before.
1.-THE ensemble idea made It's appear.
ance last year. It will grow In favol
and undoubtedly will result In increased
sales Of shirts. ties and socks. Ths
average man dresses with better taste
and has q better wardrobe today thar
. year ago."