The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-11-13

Food distributors must increase
their efficiency II the government
nutrition for.defense program is
10 be a success. J. A. O.Donneu
vice president OF the Great Atlantic
& Pacific Tea Company declared
today.
Announcing the local celebration
OF the company's SIND anniversary
he said present world conditions
place added importance on Allan
tic and Pacific Tea Company's ira
ditional policy OF encouraging the
consumption OF healthful foods by
eliminating unnecessary handling
costs and narrowing the margin be-
tween what the consumer pays and
the producer receives.
With Government nutrition ex'
perts agreed that vitamins are as
vital TO Americas strength and
morale as planes. tanks and guns,
all food distributors have a re-
sponsibility to move food to con
sumers with the utmost efficiency
Mr.. O'Donnell said. adding that
"our company is proud Of its part in
meeting that responsibility. not
only since the governments nutr.-
ton program was started, but in
every one OF its 50 years OF opera
ton"
This efficiency has been main
tanned since the company WAS
founded in 1853, he said, when
George Huntington Hartford took d
revolutionary step In purchasing a
cargo of tea direct from China and.
by eliminating all needless in-be-
tween handling and costs, retailed
it for half the prevailing prices.
Hartford subsequently applied the
same mass distribution principles
TO other foods. and public accept
ance made il possible TO open ad-
ditional stores, thus starting
Americas first chain store com
pany.
A later major step in the COM
pany's growth was the advent Of
the economy stores through
which consumers demonstrated
their desire to get more food for
their food dollar by dispensing
with credit and delivery expenses.
Most significant recent trend hat
been the growth OF the supermar-
ket which, as developed by A. & P,
brings food TO consumers at the
lowest "markup" ever achieved in
the retail grocery industry, he said
The larger turnover inherent
to supermarket operation, coupled
with self.service, means that the
company can operate on a still mar.
rover margin, passing the resultant
savings on to both producers and
consumers, Mr. O'Donnett eX.
planned. He pointed TO the fact
that his company's customers this
year will save over s50,000.000 on
their food as compared to the
lowest prices which could have
been charged on the basis Of operat.
ing costs five years ago. Similarly,
growers and shippers marketing
fresh fruits and vegetables through
A & Z. stores now get a 3 per
cent greater share OF the consum-
er's dollar than they did only four
years ago.
That these benefits 10 producers
and consumers have not been
achieved at the employees expense
is indicated by the COMPANY : re.
cent adoption Of a national policy
OF the first five-day, 4s.hour week
ever offered in grocery retailing
he said. The shorter week, cou-
pied with recent wage increases
boosting the organizations level
even further above the national
average, gives its employees the
shortest general hours and best
working conditions In the indus
try, he declared.
The feasibility OF increasing the
use OF healthful foods in line with
the government drive TO raise die
tary standards is shown by success
OF the company's own drive this
year to encourage consumption Of
fresh fruits and vegetables. Dur
ing a 10-week period. he said, its
purchases totaled 33.203 carloads,
compared with 27,574 carloads
bought in the same period last
year, a gain Of 204 per cent
Such efforts are only q start,