54 
BULLETIN 1317, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Accordingly, the data obtained regarding the wage expense in chain 
stores are of especial interest. For eight of the chain systems which 
furnished information regarding operating expenses, complete data 
were obtained for wages and a number of other items by the branch 
stores individually. In those S3 7 stems where there is a considerable 
variation in the size of the stores, the percentage relation of salaries 
and wages to sales is usually from 2 to 3 per cent higher in the 
smaller than in the larger stores ; and a general average of the eight 
systems by size of stores gives approximately the same result. (See 
Table 30.) Although the average of all salaries and wages in the 
chain systems all grouped together was considerabiy lower than 
the weighted average for all individual stores (see Table 28), the 
difference between the two types is hardly appreciable when compari- 
son is made between groups of similar volume of sales and giving 
the same class of service. (See Tables 28, 29, 30 and fig. 4.) Since 
wages in the chain stores of different sizes accord so closely with 
those of individual stores of corresponding sizes, an additional 
indication is furnished that the estimated percentage basis used for 
individual stores is substantially correct. 
Table 29. — Expenses and profits in meat departments of stores of chain systems 
classified by volume of sales, 1919 
[Percentages calculated on basis of sales as 100 per cent] 
Chain No. 1.— Meats and Groceries; Meat Sales, $1,368,804.69 
Group by volume of sales 
Number 
of stores 
Gross 
margin 
Net 
profit 
Total 
expenses 
Wages 
Expenses 
other 
than 
wages 
Not over $25,000 . 
Per cent 
Per cent 
Per cent 
Per cent 
Per cent 
$25,001 to $50,000 
10 
7 
3 
21.56 
21.13 
21.72 
3.62 
5.07 
4.20 
17.94 
16.06 
17.52 
10.29 
9.97 
10. 12 
7.65 
$50,001 to $100,000 
6.09 
$100,001 to $200,000. .. 
7. 4C 
Over $200,000 
Chain No. 2.— Meats and Groceries; Meat Sales, $1,397,564. 
Not over $25,000.... 
$25,001 to $50,000... 
$50,001 to $100,000.. 
$100,001 to $200,000. 
Over $200,000 
2 
21.99 
1.66 
20.33 
11.26 
11 
22.81 
5.12 
17.69 
9.71 
9 
22.13 
5.06 
17.07 
9.36 
2 
23.30 
5.24 
18.06 
8.89 
9.07 
7.98 
7.71 
9.17 
Chain No. 3. — Meats and Groceries; Meat Sales, $683,141.01 
Not over $25,000 ._ . 
5 
5 
2 
17.58 
17.28 
19.29 
2.94 
3.13 
8.54 
14.64 
14.15 
10.75 
9.83 
8.65 
7.08 
4.81 
$25,001 to $50,000 
5.49 
$50,001 to $100.000 
3.67 
$100,001 to $200,000 
Over $200,000 
1 
17.86 
7.14 
10.72 
6.93 
3.79 
Chain No. 4.— Meats Only; Sales, $2,116,712.* 
Not over $25,000 
$25,001 to $50,000 
1 
10 
6 
1 
17.55 
17.62 
18.53 
16.68 
-2.29 
1.69 
4.98 
2.97 
19.84 
15.93 
13.55 
13.71 
11.48 
10.38 
8.65 
8.29 
8.36 
$50,001 to $100.000... 
5.55 
$100,001 to $200,000 
4.90 
Over $200,000 
5.42 
