10 
S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Practical operators who know the business, stress the importance 
of " buying right." This involves an intimate knowledge of market 
values and ability to judge quality and value. The importance of 
buying by personal selection is rated of first importance by efficient 
and successful merchants and experts are employed for this purpose. 
But many were found who place the judgment of the wholesaler 
or his representative above their own, depending on the whole- 
saler to make selections for them, and seldom visiting the whole- 
sale houses. Such buying is handled by telephone largely. In some 
cases the " marking up" privilege on the part of the beef salesman is 
permitted by retailers. Such methods of buying tend to eliminate 
all competitive features and enable the wholesaler to act in the dual 
capacity of seller and buyer. 
PER CENT 
40 50 60 
REFRIGERATED 
NOT REFRIGERATED 
Delivery store 
100 
Cash-and-carry store 
am systems store 
Fig. 5.— Percentage grouping of the various types of retail stores according to the practice of refrig- 
erating counters. To some extent this applies also to mechanical refrigeration as compared to ice 
refrigeration. A smaller proportion of the cash-and-carry stores used refrigerated counters than 
either of the other two types of stores. All chain systems observed had refrigerated counters, but 
there may be some exception in other cities 
FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT 
Modern equipment and adequate facilities commensurate with vol- 
ume of business are essential to best results. Together they are an 
economic factor which tends. to decrease waste and shrinkage. The 
survey showed that many in the retail-meat industry, even many 
who are efficient in methods of operation, do not fully appreci- 
ate the importance of these factors. But in Pacific coast cities it 
was found that nearly all meat markets, both large and small, are 
equipped with ice machines, refrigerated show cases, and to some 
extent with refrigerated show windows. Some cities in the North 
Central States come next in efficiency of equipment. High rents 
during recent years and uncertainty of renewals of existing leases 
in the large eastern cities were shown to be deterrent factors in the 
installation of modern refrigerating systems. 
The importance of these factors from an economic standpoint and 
their relation to efficient operation should not be overlooked. 
