The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-01-22
Dry Goods Men To
 Help Small Stores
2lst Annual Convention in February to Devote One
 Day to Difficulties Besetting the Little Fellow

New York, Jan 22-Recognizing that the smaller store has not been immune from the difficulties at ending the business depression, the National Retail Dry Goods associa- tion is devoting q special session of its Fist annual convention, to be held at the Hotel Pennsylvania. New York city, February l to 5 inclusive, to smaller store prob- lens. These problems have to do with various phases of retail op- eration, including sales promotion, traffic, receiving and marking, em. ploye education and training, mer- chandising and expense reduction and control.
 This session is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, February 3rd, and will take the form of luncheon and round table discus sion. The meeting is solely for members of the National Retail Dry Goods association and dele gates from their stores. It is spon- sored by the store managers divi- sion and the controllers congress and will be presided over by George P. Gable of the William F. Gable company, Altoona, Pennsylvania. The following explanation of the significance of this session was is- sued from the headquarters of the association to-day: "Of prime inn portance to the store of smaller sales volume Is the task of main- taining sales volume, or at least halting the rate of volume decline. Thus, sales promotion methods as they relate to smaller stores will be discussed at this session at great length. How to Develop an Ef- fective Sales Promotion Program" will be the topic of short talk by George E. Jacobs, Bon Ton de- partment store, Lebanon, Penn. for the purpose of providing discus- sion and bringing out the plans and past experiences. of various stores. Not only will this discussion in. volve the advantages of certain media and types of publicity. but the principles underlying the se- lection of the most suitable mer- chandise for smaller store promo ton will be reiterated and ex- plained through practical applica- tion.
 "There is q field for the practice of economy in traffic, receiving and mark eting operations, as carried on in the smaller store. Royce Bush of Bush & Bull. Easton Penn, whose store has done an effective job in this work, will discuss "Traf- fic Receiving and Marketing for the Smaller Store" This talk will develop some of the major sources of economy but in the discussion which will follow. 1t will be the privilege of any member to ask for aid in the solution of his problems and for instruction as to how the principles outlined might best be applied.
 "Greater efficiency in selling on the part of It's staff is one way of helping a small store meet present day problems. With this in mind, Miss Celia k. Case, of the associa- ciation's staff, will talk on Better Selling in the Smaller Store. Miss Case has spent much time travel ing about visiting smaller stores and conducting short intensive selling courses for stores in the stores which have no regular train ing staff. .,
 "The smaller store has been able to curtail the number of employees only to very limited extent. Where five or six people are en- gagged in one type of work or in one department, as is the case so often in the larger stores, it is not so difficult a problem to dispense with the services of one person. But where only one or two people are employed in the department or selling division, the small