28 ■ BULLETIX 1044. U. S, DEPAETMEXT OE AGEICTLTUEE. 



ment are obvious, as tlie customer is required to carry purcliases to 

 the cashier's desk at the exit. 



The display of merchandise will be dealt with here only in so far 

 as it is a means of identifying merchandise. Such articles as rice-. 

 beans, dialed fruits, and mam* other bulk goods are usually put up in 

 paper bags by the dealer before they are put on the shelves or t-ables 

 for sale. That the customer may know exactly what he is buying, 

 both as to quality and grade, it is almost imperative that he see the 

 article itself, or a sample of the article. Any description that the 

 dealer might place upon the package would not fully identify the 

 goods. If every customer knew the exact quality of the articles car- 

 ried and had complete confidence in the dealer, such an identification 

 might suffice. But. unfortunately, this condition does not usually 

 exist.. 



Some method must be used by which the customers may see the 

 goods or a sample of the goods. The use of '• window " bags is not 

 practicable because of the expense involved and the lessened dura- 

 bility of the container. The only satisfactoiw means yet devised is 

 the display of a sample which exactly corresponds, in Ijoth grade and 

 quality, to the merchandise in the packages. This is usually done by 

 suspending from the shelf above a small container having a trans- 

 parent face. It is so made that the sample that it contains can be 

 readily changed. Care should be exercised in placing the samples so 

 that there will be no mistake as to the commodity represented. It is 

 advisable to divide the shelves into sections of only sufficient size to 

 hold the desired numlier of packages of any one commodity, or any 

 one grade of that commodity. 



PKICE DISPLAY. 



All merchandise for sale in a self-serve store should be so marked 

 that the customer will have no difficulty in determining the price. 

 This can be done by marking the individual articles, or by having a 

 price tag for each different kind or gi'ade of article, so i^laced that 

 there can be no misconception in regard to the article to which the 

 price relates. 



The main advantage of marking each article is that there can be 

 no question as to its j^rice and the cashier or checker at the exit does 

 not have to remember it. This reduces the possibility of argument 

 between the employees and the customers, thereby saving time and 

 reputation, and also aids in the accuracy of the work at this point. 

 But there are ntunerous disadvantages in this method, the greatest 

 being the labor involved in marking the packages. This requires as 

 much time, if not more, than is used in putting the articles on the 

 shelves. The marking is usually done by pencil, either on the arti- 



