TOPICS FOR TRADESMEN

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17263, 2 September 1916, Page 12

TOPICS FOR TRADESMEN

‘ „ 1 & ----- [From Our Corrzspoxdrkt.l LONDON, July 8. PIANO SELLING POLICY. The policy of fostering trade in British-produced pi.anos in preference to those of foreign manufacture has received a great impetus from the war. As is probably fairly well known, tho majority of piano dealers some time ago agreed to stock British instruments only, so far as possible. It is pointed out that many of those dealers who in pre-war clays dealt largely in foreign productions are now handicapped ; owing to the sole agency system, the handling of representative British pianos is denied them. For this reason there is a fairly substantial body of opinion advocating tho abolition oi the sole agency system in the piano trade altogether. On the oilier hand, it is urged that in tho interests of those who in the past have sufficiently patriotic to deal mainly in British pianos, the sole agency system, which apparently only worked hardship to the less patriotic members ot the tiade, should bo retained. Sole agencies, it is said, largely prevent undercutting, and guarantee to those wore pioneers in the development of any special lines jn pianos the fruits of thoir labour. Besides this, it is pointed out that a large number of the English piano manufacturers still produce, apart from their special piftnes bearing their names, rirnliy good instruments to which no name is attached, and ■ for which no sale agencies exist, and the number of theee is sufficiently large to guarantee to those dealers who are not" already in possession of agencies the wherewithal to work up a good business. , "NOTHING ELSE?” It seems difficult for some tradesmen to bit a happy medium, when a customer has concluded a purchase, between the phrase "Nothing else?’ aud the old-time practice of trying to force the salo of something, from every line in stock. The phrase "Nothing else?" is the retailer’s equivalent to “ Here’s your hat.” "Nothing else ’’ echoes the customer, and out bo goes. W'liat else could lie do? After a person has bought the article or articles the need of which brought him to the shop, extra sales can bo made by featuring new things. By saying: *" I have a novel article that I think you will be interested in, and I am sure you will like it,” nine times out of ten'the customer will stay and look at it. Whether he buys or not is not the important point. The real value of such a novelty is that it bridges the gap between what the customer came to get and what you want him to buy. Once the shopkeeper gets the customer to start looking at other merchandise tho rest is, or certainly ought to be, easy. MIXED FLOUR IN BREAD

Many bakers blend flours in baking, Laving one of two ideas in mind: they desire either to cheapen their price of floor by adding another flour of inferior quality, or they think that two different flours will, when blended, give bettor results in the finished loaf. A master baker, at a recent meeting of the trade in London, pointed outthat by blending a cheaper flour with that of the regular quality the baker was lowering the quality of the loaf, just in proportion to the amount of cheaper flour used. As to the idea that two flours will give hetter results than will one standardised flour, ho said that every large milling concern 'builds its flour to embody the ideas of what it thinks a baker desires in a. flour regarding strength, colour, flavour and texture in the loaf, of bread. Each of these flours will differ in the particular characteristics that the miller thinks are the ones desired by the baker to make the ideal loaf, and is "built with ideas in mind which may be entirely .opposite. When these flours are mixed together in milking broad they may act in such a maimer as . to entirely destroy the desirable qualities of either flour. CONTRASTS IN SHOPKEEPING. llobt repairers, in considering tho higher charges, should remember that they have to “fit” the eye as well as tho foot, said a speaker at a recent meeting. He contrasted the elaborate character of modern boot retailing establishments, the effect of which was to create in the minds of customers the idea that first-class quality could only be obtained from first-class shops, with the disorderly state of the inside of the average repairer’s shop. Repairers did not need to iustal elaborate fixtures and fittings, but, undoubtedly, they could do something to improve the appearance of their shops. Clean and neat premises attracted customers, who assumed that the proprietors would turn out neat and wellfinished work. Why should there be cobwebs in repairers’ shops, and why have all sorts of bills and posters hanging on th* walls? Why, too. Were some repairers’ .shops allowed to remain so dusty? Those things led tho public to believe that shoe repairing was a low-class trade, and so tho treatment obtained from tho public was not of the best. When repairers had more respect for themselves, kept their establishments clean and turned good work, then the public's respectfor them would increase, and as a consequence repairers would bo able to earn a decent living. One member of the" association remarked that lie always insisted on his premises being clean and neat, but many repairers found it impossible, in view of the inadequate prices they charged for repairs, to devote either sufficient time or money to the work of keeping their premises in order.