EXPENSE FACTORS IN CITY DISTRIBUTION OF PERISHABLES 
19 
demand is kept fairly evenly balanced throughout the season. In 
the high-variabihty group, on the other hand, are the distinctly 
seasonal articles with limited keeping qualities. ^They must be 
shipped from producing areas as soon as ready for market, and they 
are thrown upon the market immediately after arrival. Conse- 
quently, because the erratic seasonal changes in supply are not 
balanced by corresponding adjustment in consumers' demand, they 
suffer wide price fluctuation in the New York wholesale market. 
Does any regular association exist between indices of wholesale- 
price variability in these three groups and jobbers' spread in the 
retail sale? Apparently not, judging from comparison of the two 
columns in Table 8. Two of the articles whose spread per sale is 
lowest are in the middle-variability group ; boxed apples, which have 
a high price spread, are in the low-variability group; and three 
other articles which also have high price spread per sale are in the 
high-variabihty group. From the data on which these comparisons 
are based there appears to be no regularity of association between 
variability of wholesale prices and the portion of the consumer's 
outlay required for jobber's service. The results are generally 
negative. 
Table 8. — Relation of jobbers' price spread to wholesale price variability, New York 
metropolitan area, February, 1923, to May, 1924 
Yellow onions 
Southern potatoes. 
Northern potatoes 
Sweet potatoes 
Western lettuce... 
Northern cabbage. 
Cantaloupes 
Jobbers' 
Whole- 
spread 
sale price 
per retail 
varia- 
sale 
bility 
Cents 
Per cent 
1.6 
13.5 
1.6 
11.8 
1.7 
3.2 
1.8 
5.4 
1.8 
19.6 
1.9 
12.8 
2.0 
22.8 1 
California oranges 
Barreled apples... 
Peaches 
Boxed apples 
Southern cabbage. 
Eastern lettuce 
Jobbers' 
spread 
per retail 
sale 
Cents 
2.0 
2.0 
2.5 
2.7 
2.9 
3.0 
Whole- 
sale price 
varia- 
bility 
Per cent 
9.2 
8.0 
24.1 
4.6 
25.9 
26.4 
CONCLUSIONS REGARDING VARIABILITY OF JOBBERS' PRICE SPREAD 
When the proportional expense of distribution is assigned to jobber 
and retailer, there is found to be considerably greater constancy in 
the retailers' portion than in that of the jobbers. The distribution 
services rendered by the retailer are thus the dominant factor in de- 
termming the regularity of distribution expense. Variability in job- 
bers ' spread is not accounted for by variations in size of jobber 's sale. 
Neither does variability in the jobbers' portion of the price spread ap- 
fear to be associated with variations of price in the wholesale market, 
t must be accounted for bv factors outside of those considered here. 
ANALYSIS OF TYPES OF STORE OPERATION 
The present analysis is concerned with measurement of the influence 
of some typical forms of store operation in the expense of distributing 
Eerishable commodities. A two-fold classification of store types is 
ere considered for the purpose of determining the extent to which 
the form of operation affects the expense of distribution and cost 
of goods to consumers. 
