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AN AUTOMATIC BARGAIN
BASEMENT
T H O U G H Boston holds many- Some of these prizes have been paid,
surprises for the traveler go­ but in each case the error was traceable
ing East, he always has his to the oversight of an individual, and
eyes opened when it comes to not to any flaw inherent in the system
shopping in Boston. Some­ itself.
one in Boston, sooner or later, tells him Usually there are groups of bargain
to go to the automatic bargain basement seekers waiting for the basement doors
which has become quite a feature of the to open. Nearly all are equipped with
city. This is located in one of the large the morning newspaper in which the
department stores, and applies an en­ goods have been advertised.
tirely new business principle.
The system, after five years, began to
The managers of this store recog­ make money. The first year the system
nized that basement trading is done was started the store lost thousands of
by all classes of people; it is an amaz­ dollars. In the second year it learned
ingly large section for profit. The people to avoid certain lots, and by watching
who buy in the basement do not neces­ the first prices carefully, managed to
sarily buy there because they think break about even. The next three years
the goods are going to be cheaper, showed a profit, and the people of Bos­
but because everything is for sale on ton, as well as the store itself, acknowl­
one floor, and the necessity for runedged that the goods were bargains—
ning for elevators in crowds is elim­ real bargains.
inated. As this basement had an en­ Say the managers, "In the lapidaries
trance on the subway, drawing large of Amsterdam, where the diamonds of
crowds, as much care was taken in its the world are cut and polished, there are
arrangement as upstairs.
always odd pieces of precious stones that
Before the store was opened, Boston remain after the larger stones are cut.
read in its papers that the bargain base­ These pieces are of the same quality as
ment was to be automatic ; that is. if goods the larger gems, yet they bring propor­
were not sold after twelve selling days, tionately far less. They are the 'chips.'
twenty-five per cent was deducted from So, in the wholesale garment making of
their cost: if unsold after eighteen days, this country and abroad, between produc­
fiftv per cent was deducted : and at the tion and distribution there is an overlap­
end of twenty-four days a discount of ping, and models and samples, large and
seventy-five per cent was deducted. But small, surplus and odd lots, are con­
if thev were not sold within thirty selling stantly left on the manufacturer's hands
days, they were given away. The to be disposed of in other than the reg­
readers were skeptical, because they ular course of business. With thousands
thought the first price would be exorbi­ of manufacturers in America and abroad
tant. People asked, "Where are you go­ to whom this condition was applicable,
ing to get the underprice merchandise to it is obvious that there was a rich field
keep such a system going day after day ?" from wdiich the automatic bargain base­
The answers were satisfactory. In adment could be supplied at less than regdition,
the store published offers of prizes ular prices—manufacturers' surpluses,
to be paid in the event of any one's dis­ sample lines, odd sizes, and entire stocks
covering failure to reduce prices at the of manufacturers or retailers going out
tunes called for by the schedule of reduc­ of business." And these are what the
tions.
"automat" sells.
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