CONSUMER PREFERENCES IN PURCHASE OF MEAT 35 
second and eggs third, according to the number of women indi- 
cating each of them as first choice of a food when meat was 
not served. As the standard of Irving increased, the popularity 
of fish and poultry increased, with a decrease in the preference for 
vegetables, dairy products, soup, baked beans, cereals, and bread as 
food to be served in place of meat. 
9. Variety was emphasized most frequently by the housewives of 
the American white group as the reason for using other foods instead 
of meat. Economy was stated more frequently as a reason for serving 
other foods by the housewives of the poor class of the American white 
group and of the English, Finnish, German, Italian, and Polish groups. 
Keligious reasons were also important in the English, German, Italian, 
Polish, and Russian groups. 
MEAT PURCHASING 
10. Over 50 per cent of the housewives of the American white group 
and of the colored group bought meat at unit combination grocery and 
meat markets. In the foreign groups, however, the decided prefer- 
ence, with slight exception, was for straight meat markets. 
11. The near-by meat dealer had the advantage, since in most of 
the groups and classes about one-half of the housewives bought their 
meat at markets within two blocks of their homes. The principal 
exceptions were found in the well-to-do and wealthy classes of the 
American white group and in the Scandinavian group. There was 
also indicated a definite and pronounced tendency to trade with the 
nearest or the next to the nearest dealer. 
12. As the standard of living increased, increase in the tendency 
to charge meat purchases was more rapid than that of trading at 
markets where charge service was available. 
13. Housewives of the poor and middle classes of the American 
white group had patronized their present meat dealers a shorter 
length of time than had those of the well-to-do and wealthy classes. 
14. Quality of meat was most frequently stated as the reason for 
trading with present meat dealers. The relative importance of qual- 
ity of meat and good service as reasons for trading with present meat 
dealers increased and the significance of the factors of convenience 
of location and economical prices decreased as the standard of Irving 
became better. 
15. Nearly three-fourths of the housewives of the American white 
group stated they had never stopped trading with a dealer because 
of dissatisfaction. Of the remaining one-fourth, over one-half stated 
that they had discontinued trading because of dissatisfaction with 
the quality of meat. Dishonesty of the dealer and high prices were 
each named by about one-tenth of the American white housewives. 
16. About 70 per cent of the housewives of the American white 
group discontinued trading with their last dealers because they had 
moved away from the area served by the dealers or the dealer had 
left the business. The remaining 30 per cent of the replies were 
divided among the following reasons: Poor quality of meats, incon- 
venience of location, high prices, poor service, business connections 
with new shop opening up, insanitary shop, no credit service, and 
changing dealers on the recommendation of other dealers by friends. 
