FORTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT. 63 



store rents, .salaries and wages of employes, interest on cajtital, cost of 

 l>nrdiasino-, re-sorting, displaying, storage, ;tnd delivering goods, tak- 

 ing of orders, telephone, light, heat and other store expenses, losses 

 from decay and deterioration, tax'es, insnrance and other necessary ex- 

 penses, ^iost of the ex]»enses are also inclnded in the jobber's overhead 

 costs. Where the frnit is s(d<l from i»nsh carts and street stands, some 

 of the expenses are eliminated or are reduced. In the fancv frnit stores 

 and in the large grocery stores which cater to the well-to-do these over- 

 head charges are naturally larger. They make np the cost of the ser- 

 vice which Ihe consumer demands, and the cost of the fruit is only one 

 of the factors in the consumer's price. The simpler the sservice, the less 

 the overhead cost, and, in those cases, the consumer pays primarily for 

 the fruit with only a comparatively small overhead charge added for 

 service and profit. 



The retail distributing business is a vital line in the chain between 

 the producer and the con.siumer. The desire for fruit is awakened by 

 suggestion, by seeing attractive displays of fresh, luscious fruit in the 

 windows of the store, on the counters, or in other forms of display. It 

 is stimulated by the attractive fruit stands and by the push carts laden 

 with golden oranges, by advertising in the magazines, the newspapers,, 

 street cars and other advertising mediums. It is promoted by prices 

 which bring the fruit within the reach of the average consumer. The 

 retail dealer, more than any other factor, creates this appetite appeal, 

 because he comes in direct contact with the consumer, and he stimu- 

 lates or retards it by charging reasonable or exorbitant prices. 



Tlie retail dealer must therefore know how to make artistic fruit dis- 

 plays if he is to catch and sustain the interest of the constumer. The 

 fruit must always be fresh in appearance, free from decay and appetiz- 

 ing in every way. and the price must be reasonable. If the appeal 

 to the consumer's appetite is not strong and continuous, the reltailer 

 does not increase the consumption. If the price is not reasonable, it 

 cannot be purchased by the average consumer. If the sales are not 

 rapid, the fruit wilts, loses color, decays and is a drag on the hands of 

 the retailer. lender these conditions the retailer', unless he is a fruit 

 specialist, does nothing to encourage sales. The unattractive fruit is de- 

 stroying the desire on the part of the consumer, the losses from bad con- 

 dition are excessive and the retailer must add a margin large enough 

 to cover these losses and risks. Attractive displays and quick slales, 

 at a reasonable margin of profit on each transaction, increase the per 

 capita consumption and makes a satisfactory profit for the dealer at 

 the end of the year. Any other system jeopardizes the interest of the 

 producer, reduces the volume of business of the jobber, and keeps the 

 net profit of the retailer below what it otherwise might have been. 



The average retail fruit dealer needs the co-operation of the pro- 

 ducer and the jobber. The consumer demands a service that imposes 

 a heavy overhead charge on the retailer's operations — a condition which 

 the ])roducer does not usually a])preciate. In all of these operations the 

 consumer is king. By gaining his confidence and serving his best in- 

 terest, the interest of the producer, the jobber and the retailer are as- 

 sured. Without the interest of the consumer, all merchandizing efforts 

 must fail. The aim of everv factor in the fruit business should be to 



