Volume 1

Practical grocer : a manual and guide for the grocer, the provision merchant and allied trades / by W.H. Simmonds ; with contributions by specialists, trade experts and members of the trades ; illustrated by a series of separately-printed plates.

  • Simmonds, W. H.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Practical grocer : a manual and guide for the grocer, the provision merchant and allied trades / by W.H. Simmonds ; with contributions by specialists, trade experts and members of the trades ; illustrated by a series of separately-printed plates. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    case a season trade. For a few months—or even a few weeks— they clo a roaring trade; for the rest of the year they practically hibernate. Yet in spite of this manifest disadvantage the limited liability companies and other proprietors spend large sums in providing at the leading sea resorts palatial shops such as may captivate visitors of the highest class in “the season”. In many of our small sea-side places can be found splendid examples of the almost-universal-provider grocer. The writer recently met one who remarked: “You see, it is so difficult to get a good turn-over in a small place, unless you sell almost every- thing Although somewhat outside the individual retailer’s sphere of activity, the “ stores ” cannot be omitted from our conspectus of The stores typical shops, for assuredly they are a great feature of the grocery trade of to-day. Most readers are aware that the “stores” are of two totally distinct classes—those of the Rochdale Co-operative type, often managed by a committee of working men; and those of the “Army and Navy” type, which are huge emporia conducted by skilled managers under the supervision of the directors of a limited liability company. In many instances the shops of the former class are comparatively small, the business being limited, and display being in the cir- cumstances alike costly and unnecessary. On the other hand, there are many towns where the co-operative grocery stores are run by experienced grocers on up-to-date lines and doing a very large trade. In a town where rents and rates are fairly high a good-class shop will probably cost in rent, rates, and taxes some ^300 a year; Some manager, ^130; second hand, £jo\ boy, £20; gas, £20; Averages, incidentals, £20. According to Board of Trade figures working-class families with incomes of 32 shillings a week, and having (on the average) three children at home, expend on food just over a sovereign a week. The items are:— Bread and flour, 29.44 lbs., 3s. 3x£d.\ meat, 6.26 lbs., 4s. Sj4d.; bacon, 1.19 lb., 10%d.) tinned meat, fish, rabbit, 10d.; eggs, nd.; fresh milk, is. s}(d.; cheese, 0.79 lb., 6d.\ butter, 1.69 lb., i*. io%d.\ potatoes, io}4d.; vegetables and fruit, 10d.; currants and raisins, 0.62 lb., 2%d.) rice, tapioca, and oatmeal, 2.93 lbs., 6d.\ tea, 0.57 lb., is. o^d.-, coffee and cocoa, 0.20 lb., 3]Ad.\ sugar, 4.79 lbs., 10y^d.) jam, marmalade, syrup, treacle, 6</.; pickles and condiments, 3}£d.; other items of food, is. 6yd. Total spent on food per week per family, 20.5-. 9l£d.