26 BT7IXETIX 1044. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBICULTUKE. 
ARRA^GEMEN'T A>~D DISPLAY. 
The arrangement and display of merchandise have troubled the 
operator of mam- a self-serve store. When first approaching the 
problem it would seem that the arrangement of merchandise would 
necessarily have to be very carefully worked out in order that a 
person may find the article desired out of some 600 to 1.000 different 
articles on display. Many elaborate plans have been made for such 
an arrangement, but the simplest seems to be the most effective. At 
first thought, looking for any particular article would appear to be 
like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack, but it is pos- 
sible to make the search a very simple matter. 
Numerous concerns have arranged their merchandise alphabeti- 
cally, working out elaborate plans on the assumption that the cus- 
tomer will experience less difficulty in locating the article desired. 
This would seem to be a good method on paper, but practically it does 
not work out so well. The main reason is because the possibility of 
putting so many articles under more than one section confuses the 
customer. For example, a customer is looking for a certain brand of 
corn flakes. He is not certain whether it is under C (corn flakes). 
B (breakfast food), or under the first letter of the brand named. 
If he look- under C and doe- not find it. he is not sure whether the 
store is out of it or whether it is under some other letter. Because 
of this arrangement the grocer may lose a sale and perhaps a cus- 
tomer. Another disadvantage of this method of arrangement is the 
fact that associated or similar articles may be in any number of 
different place-, depending upon the completeness with which this 
alphabetical arrangement ha- been carried out — that is. whether only 
larire groups or whether the constituents of those groups are arranged 
alphabetically. This classification of similar articles is not only in- 
adequate but unattractive, since canned goods, bottled goods, and 
package goods are grouped together in every part of the store. 
Probably the simplest, must convenient, and most pleasing ar- 
rangement is by groups of similarly appearing and closely associated 
articles. The commodities carried in the average grocery store 
readily divide themselves into six. eight, or ten groups of this kind. 
This grouping is the most natural, therefore the simplest and most 
convenient, from the dealers' as well as the customers' standpoint. 
Roughly, the stock may lie divided into the following groups: 
No. 1. Canned good-. 
No. '2. Bottled goods. 
No. 3. Package goods. 
No. -i. Bulk goods (in paper bags). 
No. 5. Cracked goods (flours, meals, etc.) 
No. 6. Refrigerator goods. 
Xo. 7. Fresh fruits and vegetables. 
