SELF-SERVING IN RETAILING FOOD PRODUCTS. 13 
all of these losses in order to determine to just what extent each 
occurs. In one of the self -serve stores investigated, which was oper- 
ated under a retail stock-control plan, a number of these factors were 
eliminated, which would result in a more accurate determination of 
the loss through thievery. Practically all commodities were han- 
dled in packages put up in another department, to which was charged 
the loss resulting through waste and overweight. Few articles that 
would lose weight through evaporation were carried, and those were 
sold in packages, so that there was no loss to the store. Thus the 
shrinkage consisted only of cashier's errors and loss through thievery. 
As cashier's errors are as likely to be in favor of the store as against 
it, the shrinkage almost entirely represented thievery. It was 
slightly more than 1.5 per cent of the total sales. 
Petty thievery exists more or less in all stores. While it may be 
slightly emphasized in self-service stores owing to the psychological 
effect of the store arrangement and the method of selling, it is not 
peculiar to this type. This is demonstrated very clearly by the 
experience of several large department stores that operate self-serve 
grocery departments while the remaining departments are operated 
on the regular-service plan. A large percentage of the persons caught 
stealing in the grocery department was found to have on their 
persons articles stolen from other departments and other stores. 
The fact that the problem of thievery is especially brought to 
the attention of the self-serve operator and that special consideration 
is given to it goes a long way toward reducing the amount of steal- 
ing in such stores. On the whole, it seems doubtful whether self- 
serve stores lose more through thievery, relatively speaking, than 
other types of retail establishments, for the latter suffer not only 
from stealing on the part of customers but in some cases also from 
lax or even dishonest clerks. Methods of combating petty thievery 
are discussed later. 
From one point of view the necessity for the exercise of great care 
in buying merchandise for self-serve stores of such quality that its 
worth can be recognized without the aid of explanations from sales- 
men may be looked upon as a disadvantage. Similarly, the necessity 
for the more careful grading of articles in self-service stores than 
in other stores may be considered disadvantageous. Keeping in 
mind, however, that most of the customers of self-service establish- 
ments are those willing to forego the multiplicity of grades as well 
as the service of fancy stores, it will be readily understood that the 
simpler stocks, involving smaller capital tied up, resulting from 
strict grading, compensate for the greater attention which must be 
given to buying and grading. The problems of buying and grading 
for self-service stores are discussed later. 
