24 BULLETIN 1044, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
the greater satisfaction of both the customer and the dealer. Once 
the customer's confidence is obtained and maintained, through a proper 
solution of this problem, a better understanding will be had between 
him and the dealer. The word " substitution " often implies, to a cer- 
tain extent, an unfair practice. But its use in this discussion implies 
only a necessary substitution (because of the inability to get the 
article desired) or one that is made in the best interests of the con- 
sumer, as when a buyer can secure an article of the same or better 
quality at a lower price than that paid for the article for which the 
substitution was made. 
Many dealers make a practice of buying job lots, with little atten- 
tion to their quality or uniformity as compared with the article sub- 
stituted, price being the main reason for making the purchase. It is 
not meant that the actual buying of these job lots be discouraged, 
but it is believed that the majority of the dealers doing this do not 
fully take into consideration the selling cost, both in the increased 
effort necessary for their proper introduction and in the loss of cus- 
tomers' satisfaction, for there is a definite satisfaction on the part of 
the customer in being able to purchase an article with which he is 
already familiar, both as to quality and value. 
During the past few years it has often been difficult to maintain 
supplies of certain lines of goods, either because of an actual shortage 
or the disruption of some phase of the distribution system. This has 
made the buying problem particularly difficult, and especially so 
under self-service. 
BUYING. 
The problems arising in connection with the buying of merchandise 
intended for sale under the self-service plan are not fundamentally 
different from those arising under the service plan, but they are mag- 
nified to a certain extent and need closer study on the part of the 
buyer. 
Because of the absence of clerks in a self-service store, more atten- 
tion must be given to supplying the customers with merchandise the 
quality and grade of which they will be readily able to recognize. 
This may be done in various ways, and should begin with the buying 
of the merchandise. Careful consideration must be given to brands, 
qualities, and grades. After the sale of a certain brand, or otherwise 
identified articles, has been established in any locality, the discon- 
tinuance of the sale of that article and the substitution of another 
article of the same quality, but with a different identification mark, 
causes a disturbance which can be overcome only after the expendi- 
ture of a considerable amount of energy. This energy may take the 
form of an explanation on the part of the sales person, or of adver- 
tising in various forms, or of the use of confidence, the building up 
