Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-09
D. c. RETAIL TRADE
TOPS S331,O)O,O1O,
SAYS 1880 CENSUS
Report on Capital Business
Made Public at Dinner of
Merchants Body.
PAY ROLL OF STORES
$43,649,51O YEARLY
Large Cash Sales and $106,000,000
Purchases of Foodstuffs Are
Listed by Survey.

The annual volume of retail bust
ness in the City of Washington is in
excess of 1891 ,OOo, 900, according to the
District of Columbia census of retail
distribution of the Bureau of the Cen
sus for 1880, made pubic at the meet
ing of the Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Association at the Willard Hotel
last night by John Guernsey in charge
Of this phase of the census. OF this
amount, approximately % per cent is
consumed in operating costs, accord
ing to the report.
Addressing a representative gather
ing Of Washington business men and
merchants. Mr.. Guernsey revealed for
the first time the findings of the CEN
sus of retail distribution, which was
conducted at the urgent inSiStence of
business men for the purpose of gath
ering and presenting facts about re-
tail distribution as a basis for adjust
ing retail methods to rapidly changing
conditions. 1t was the first time such
census has been conducted by the
Government on a Nation wide scale
The report shows that there are 5917
retail stores in the District. The an
nual pay roll Of these stores exceeds
$43, 500, 900 and Is nearly one-half of
the total pay roll Of all Government
departments and agencies within the
District.
Estimated Pay S5O,5I5,IO3.
The total retail pay roll of the 5917
stores Is $43, $40, $40, of which SAL ,947,-
534 Is paid 10 30.677 full-time employees
and $l,70l,9 76 is paid to 1896 part
timers, Mr.. Guernsey said. In addition
there are 5000 owner-proprietors who
do not appear on the pay roll If the
services of these active proprietors are
valued only at the wage paid to aver
they add another S6,865, 500 to the pay
roll cost, making the total 50,5I5 ,1O3,
or 1922 per cent Of the stores sales
THE compensation of these propri-
etorS," Mr.. Guernsey explained, "is
actually part or all OF the profit
which is earned by the stores which
they own and operate. and for that
reason the amount which they draw
for living expenses is purely arbitrary
In many cases the proprietors do not
even know the amount themselves. It
may be in the form of regular or ir-
regular Withdrawals of cash, or mer-
chandiSe taken from the store for fam
lily use, or personal expense bills paid
with store funds, or regular drawing
account set up monthly on the books
and drawn against at the pleasure of
the proprietor. For census purposes, we
have used only the wage-value Of pro-
pr1etorS' services, or the average wage
paid to full-time employees in that par
ticular kind Of store. It includes no
valuation of the executive or admins
trattye services Of proprietors."
Stores Sell for Cash.
OF the 5,917 stores, 1907 sell entirely
for cash and 2,047 report that they do
all or part Of their business on credit,
he stated. OF the total retail sales &c. 3
per cent is cash business in all-cash
stores, PAS per cent is cash business in
stores which extend credit, and 1872 per
cent Is credit business.
Two Of The most interesting sections
OF the report presented by Mr.. Guernsey
were the expense data and set of
schedules showing what commodities are
sold by the various kinds of stores and
the proportion Of each sold.
The aggregate expense account of
Washington retailers was reported as
follows:
Salaries and wages paid
to S0677 full-time en-
Salaries and wages paid ''i''''''S'
70 3,796 part-time en-
Proprietors services, com. i''Oi'S'S
puted at the same rate
as that paid to the av-
erage employe.. 6.a65 500
n: Total wage cost 5,iO3-ls22r
premises -. sII,7s9,57s
Of the sales in leased
Rental value of owned
and partly owned prem
ises. at same rate
above ................... 1850. 1876
Total rental cost. sl4,48s,372- 43scs
All other expenses, eX-
cept rent and carrying
partly owned premises,
for which rental equiv
alent is included above. 2S,l3e 305- $500
Total of above expenses. 500, 1874, .so-2s O8cs
The computation of expenses includes
no return on capital invested in mer-
chandlse, fixtures or accounts receiy-
able. Expenses do not include the cost
Of merchandise sold or profit.
Drug Sales High.
In spite of the general impression
that drug stores sell everything else,
the census report shows that AZ per
cent Of their business is in preScrip-
tons, drugs and pharmaceuticals, the
speaker stated. Candy, ice cream and
soda fountain sales are more than 81
per cent, and the tobacco counter takes
in nearly 1912 per cent of the total
drug store sales. Books, toilet articles,
cosmetics and miscellaneous merchan-
disc make up the balance
The continuing encroachment of one
business on another was forcefully
brought out by Mr.. Guernsey in his
presentation Fruit and vegetable stores
do only 82i2 per cent of their business
in fruits and vegetables, the balance
consisting of groceries and meats, he
asserted Grocery stores with meat de-
partments now find that Al per cent
of their business Is in fresh meats and
poultry. To-" per cent Of automobile
accessories stores sales are of gas and
oil, while the filling stations report that
more than IA per cent of their sales
are of accessories, tires and batteries.
Every department store in Washing
ton has reported its breakdown of sales
by commodities, and nearly 100 sep
arate commodity groups are shown in
the census report" he declared. Sales
of the nine stores aggregate 54,937,-
654 Fifteen variety stores OF the sand
10 and to-a-dollar type have reported
their sales of $4,766,163 in nearly so
different commodities, the more impor-
tant of which are notions, candy, hard