24 BULLETIN 1095, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
retail-route organization may be perfected to the point of permitting 
large loads (350 to.450 eres the overhead costs may be reduced 
to a minimum. | 
Distribution through retail stores is a channel employed wholly - 
or in part by milk-distributing plants in many cities. Its advantages 
are lower costs of delivery expense and usually lower prices to con- 
sumers, especially at cash-and-carry stores. Its disadvantages con- 
sist of increased competition in selling, and the inconvenience, time, 
and effort required by consumers to obtain their daily supplies. 
Hotels, restaurants, cafés, and refreshment stands ordinarily buy 
both bulk and bottled goods at wholesale prices, which range lower 
than retail prices. 
Sales to other dealers, who operate either or both retail and whole- 
sale routes, is a method of distribution employed by some milk plants. 
Such sales are at wholesale and may be made to independent dealers. 
Kconomy in retail-route distribution is dependent upon reduction 
of route mileage and increase in size of load handled by each route 
man and upon the extent that the sales organization is able to obtain 
greater efficiency. Endless duplication of equipment, excessive over- 
head expense, and needless street travel by many route men of com- 
peting distributing plants have been pointed out as a great waste in 
milk distribution. This could be eliminated by a centralized system 
of distribution, with one plant handling the city’s entire supply. 
The average load carried on retail routes averages usually from 
250 to 300 quarts per day, while in exceptional cases as many as 
350 to 400 quarts are delivered from one retail wagon. However, it 
is entirely possible for one route man, serving all customers on both 
sides of the street in closely settled sections of cities, to average 400 
or more quarts daily. 
An efficient delivery system is just as important to the success of | 
a milk plant as is the quality of its products. Retail routes are © 
usually operated by a delivery man using a one-horse retail wagon 
or a light motor truck. A retail delivery man, under ordinary con- 
ditions, is able to supply 200 to 400 customers a day. Four to 10 
routes are generally supervised by a route foreman, and in large com- — 
panies a sales manager supervises the work of the foremen. Credit — 
men, solicitors, collectors, loaders, and checkers are employed in some — 
delivery organizations. | 
In larger milk plants, operating five or more routes, it is commonly — 
advisable to place the delivery system under the supervision of a 
sales manager, with route foremen in charge of a number of routes, | 
say from 5 to 10. The sales manager supervises the route foremen — 
and such additional employees as solicitors and collectors, while the 
plant superintendent supervises the loaders and checkers. 

