Evening star., 1939-12-17

department store counters and during the
next week you will probably find yourself in
the midst of that gift-buying mob.
Something - perhaps it's the Christmas
spirit, perhaps it's the desperate knowledge
that you can't put off your holiday shopping
any longer - endows you with energy which
surpasses that of plunging back on the foot
ball field Something gives you the courage to
fight and squirm your way through crowd
that looks as unyielding as tank barrier.
And the diplomacy you must summon up
would floor a Disraeli Will Aunt Hortense
settle for tippet? And is it Scotch or rye that
Uncle Bismark likes? What plausible explana-
ton can you give Johnnie when his bicycle
turns out to be red instead of green, as or
dered? And - but these details are only too
familiar to everyone.
But if you think your own particular prob
lens are well-ngh insurmountable, multiply
them by million and you will get some idea
of what faces that incredibly complex organ
ism, the big city department store.
How does department store get ready for
Christmas? How does it do its shopping? And
how can any group of managerial minds foresee
and be prepared for the holiday holocaust?
It's story of foresight and good planning;
a story of efficient specialization that extends
downward to the lowest ranks.
As an average shopper you know what hap
pens when you make selection, lay money on
the counter and carry away package. This is
but the ultimate distillation of a series of
transactions that possibly began while you
were on summer vacation. You have contact
only with the salesgirl. For each member of
the sales force there are probably two other
workers whom you never see. Let's step
behind the scenes and examine department
store in its period of lustiest bloom - the
Christmas season.
For our subject we have chosen large
New York City store. We have chosen it
because it has all the drama inherent in big
ness On different SCALE any store in any
town will face pretty much the same situa-
tons and dispose OF them in much the same
manner.
The store we have in mind sprawls over
forty-fve acres of floor space - equal to
good-sized farm. 1t maintains buying offices
in France, England, Japan and China. In
single day it has sold almost a million dollars
worth of goods. 1t began laying plans for the
crush of customers now storming its aisles
about fifty weeks ago - Immediately after
Christmas, 1898. Executives met to discuss
errors that had been made and started block
ing out the rough outlines of the 1889
christmas plan. They noted which depart
ments needed enlarging and made plans for
eliminating traffic bottlenecks.
Actual purchasing of Christmas goods be-
gan in the spring. Christmas cards were
bought in April. Orders were placed for
English plum puddings in July. This same
month contracts were let for two million
Christmas boxes Extra carloads - each hold
ing eighteen tons - of holiday wrappings
followed Buyers combed foreign markets and
laid lines in domestic markets for any goods
with Christmas gift appeal.
Sales of staple lines can be forecast with
reasonable accuracy but there is no guessing
the appeal of novelty goods If the new COM
bination egg poacher and drink mixer catches
the public fancy, the store must make heroic
last-minute efforts to satisfy the demand.
Manufacturers must be persuaded to put on
night shifts, and trucks, driving day and
night, must be hired for the transport job.
Employment began its upward surge in
August Normally the store is stated with