“And you have ‘specials’ like this every day?” asked Mrs. Larry.
“Yes, sometimes the specials run a week. Others are only for one day.”
“I am through with telephoning. Hereafter I shall order my groceries in person,” announced Mrs. Larry.
Wednesday evening found the Nortons, the Moores and Claire Pierce waiting in Mrs. Larry’s living-room for Mr. Benton, manager of the Dorlon store. On the reading table, Lena, fairly bristling with importance, was arranging the exhibit which had arrived from the store. This included two brands of canned peaches, cartons of rice, tea, sugar, crackers and flavoring extracts and various packages of irregular shape.
“Looks like a private pure food exhibit,” commented Mr. Norton.
Mr. Benton proved an interesting and interested talker.
“Personal investigation and experimentation on the part of the housewife are desired by all conscientious tradespeople. In the case of the Dorlon Company, which operates a chain of thirty stores in Greater New York, the buyers desire to give customers the benefit of every possible price-saving. The managers of the stores are equally desirous of keeping customers posted on price changes and market values, but we can not force customers to take a lively interest in saving money, when they prefer to follow the line of least trouble and least resistance. Therefore, I am very glad to give you a few pointers on the subject of buying groceries.
“The principal topics in which housewives are interested are these: package versus bulk goods; cold storage versus fresh goods; adulteration versus substitution; honest and dishonest labels; premiums.
“To those of us who are in the business, the argument against package goods as increasing the cost of living is absurd. Goods must be prepared for delivery, either in the factory or in the store. The factory, with its labor-saving machinery, can do up dry groceries more rapidly and less expensively than our fastest clerks in the store. Perhaps there was a time when the housekeeper paid extra for containers. To-day she can buy certain package goods as reasonably, and sometimes more cheaply, than bulk goods.