42 
In the loss store groups tendencies toward high expense and low 
gross margin percentages were exhibited. In this respect the gen- 
eral tendency toward low gross margin and high expense percentages 
in loss stores was of more significance than the actual numerical 
differences presented by the data. 
The extent of the differences in percentages noted between the 
results of these two surveys probably did not constitute an accurate 
measure of the variation. The closeness of agreement between the 
results, however, seemed to imply that representative data had been 
obtained in both surveys. Some variation was introduced no doubt 
through differences in the size and nature of the retail businesses 
composing the groups in the two surveys. 
COMPARISON OF MARGIN, TOTAL EXPENSE, AND PROFIT IN INDI- 
VIDUAL RETAIL MEAT MARKETS FOR 1919 AND 1924 
In 1919 the department conducted a nationwide survey of condi- 
tions in the retail meat trade. 5 A portion of this study was con- 
cerned with margins, expenses, and profits in 206 individual retail 
meat markets located in various sections of the United States. To 
compare the results of these two surveys, it was necessary to correct 
the results for variation in the retail price level of meats and for 
differences in the value of the dollar between the years 1919 and 
1923. The elimination of these differences resulted in the reduction 
of the percentages for both years to the common basis of 1913. It 
was then possible to determine the extent of any variations between 
the two years in terms of a common unit of measure, the 1913 dollar, 
since differences in the retail price level of meats and in the general 
price level had been eliminated. 
For comparative purposes, the system of weighting averages used 
in the 1919 survey was applied to the results obtained in the present 
survey. This system involved weighting the results according to 
the comparative quantities of meats sold in stores of varying sizes 
and by population distribution, because of the variations in operat- 
ing expense between the several sections of the country. The same 
weights used in the 1919 survey were applied to the 1923 figures. It 
was believed that little variation had taken place in the proportions 
of meats moving through stores of varjong volumes of sales during 
the period between 1919 and 1923. If such changes had taken place, 
they were insufficient to alter the rather broad weights established 
for the purpose of the 1919 survey. 
Use of these weights resulted in some change in the gross margin, 
total expense, and profit percentages for 1923, so that the percentages 
presented in Table 16 are not the same as those shown in Table 4. 
These differences in two instances amount to approximately 1 per 
cent. The principal differences were noted in the carry group, where 
the weighted average gross margin was found to be 22 per cent 
of sales, whereas the unweighted average was 22.98 per cent, an 
increase of 0.98 per cent. The weighted expense percentage was 
18.64, unweighted 19.74, a difference of 1.1 per cent. Variation in 
the rate of profit was slight, since gross margin and total expense 
percentages varied about the same amount between the weighted 
5 See footnote 3. 
