WHAT IS A GROCER?

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1936, Page 8

WHAT IS A GROCER?

It is reported that- Ma". Richards, M.P., stated that the present "chaos" in. the grocery business was due to pirate and after-tour trading. If this is correct, which the writer very much doubts," then the grocers only have themselves to blame. What is a grocer? It seems that a grocery business is such that you can "pirate" any and everyone else s business with impunity. They have filched from the tobacconist, the pork butcher, the confectioner, the chemist, the fruiterer; the greengrocer, the ibaker, even the soft drink and ice cream vendor and umpteen others. Instead of looking after their own business they have hacked and backed into every other business possible; cutting prices, using othei people's business lines as catchpcnny ones for themselves, but when poor Mrs. A. who keeps, a small sweet shop —obliges Mrs. B. with half a pound of tea after 5.30 p.m. she has, it seems, committed a heinous offence. Let the Government tell the grocers the same thing that it told the chemists, "Put yoiu own house in order," and add, "Be groceis and leave other people's business alone,' and they will find that the other people will then have sufficient to do looking after their lines and will then leave off "pirating" groceries. Otherwise they cannot complain of being given "tit-for-tat." In the meantime, I say "Good luck to the pirate." Give the grocers what they have given everyone else and keep going at it until the grocers deal in groceries alone. BILL.

[The view that "Bill" had expressed a very limited outlook was taken by Mr. R. M. Barker, secretary of the Master Grocers' Association, when the letter was referred to him. It was essential that the grocer should give seivice, iie said, and in giving service it was equally essential that he should be able to supply tlie goods ordered by his customers. He called, for and delivered orders, and 110 other business could give the service that he gave. MrBarker visualised a rigid demarkation of provision trades, with the housewife ordering from a dozen different shops the goods she wanted, and with tradesmen constantly coming and going from her door each with his small parcel. Grocers were compelled to carry bread, vegetables, sweets, tobacco and patent medicines, but he denied that they were used .as catchpenny lines. A grocer carried only such a quantity of these goods as would meet -the requirements of his orders, as otherwise he would have a lot of stock left on his shelves —and he did not cut prices. The question of pirate and after-hour trading was a different matter. Mr. Barker referred to the number of shops, labelled dairies, which carried practically everything—and sometimes did not have milk when it was asked for. On a recent Sunday it had been recorded that there were 20 "dairies" open in one Auckland suburban street. These shops were open at practically any hour. A traveller had informed him that lie supplied £10 worth of tobacco to one "dairy" each week. There was a lot more to after-hour trading than the "obliging" of Mrs. B. by Mrs. A.—Ed.]