EDWAWNG THE SUPER MARKET CONSUMER ON THE SUBJECT OF FOODS Thesis for the Dayton of M. A. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Jack J. Bellick 1957 LIBRARY Michigan State University The Curriculum in Food Distribution at Michigan State University is under the sponsorship of the National Association of Food Chains EDUCATING THE SUPER MARKET CONSUMER C N THE SUBJECT CF FOODS By JACK J. BELLICK A THESIS Submitted to the College of Busin Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the . requirements for the degree of ess and Public Service of MASTER OF ARTS Department of General Business Curriculum in Food Distribution 1957 ”‘7 z ' f’“ '7 'fi F47 (g, /gv.2.d,-..—.rz./—-—z,~gz -, TO MY warms mow AND mum 3m s—‘u ._ __.‘_.:_—:7 7— ———s This author sincerely appreciates the encouragement and con- sideretion of Ralph Calchvell, Kiss Ration Butters. Professor Jessie risks. and the secretarial efficiencies of Pauline Miles. The author values the patient assistance of his parents and the under- standing counsel of Dr. ILA. Brand, without whose cooperation this thesis my not have been written. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Pmm O O O I O O O O 0 Previous Studies . . Justification for Additional Investigation I. INTROWCTION . ~, . . ' mmse e e e e e e e e e e e e 0 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . “ethOd e e e e e e e Scope and limitations . . II. THE CONCEPT OF CONSUMER EmCATION . . Introduction............. Consumer............ Consumer Education in Foods . . . . . Objectives of Consumer Education . . Ihe value of Consumer Education . . . Reasons for Consumer Education . . . Methods Used In Consumer Education . Where the Consumer may be Educated . III. THE CONSUMER EDUCATION PROBLEMS. PART SELECTI ON. Introduction............ Price and Quality 0 e o e e e e e e e Foodfiabits............. Diet and Nutrition . . . . . . . . . BrandPreference .......... Grades, Labels. Standardisation . . . Advertising e e e e e e e e e e e e 0 Summary............... 1V. THE CONSUMER ENCM‘I PROBLEMS. PART WITH! SUPIEJARIITS. IntrOdnCtion e e e e e e e e e e e 0 out and Begign e e e e e e e e e e What to Bay 0 e e e e e e e e e e e e HowtoBuy............. WhentoBuy............. HowuuchtoBuy........... figfixfifig 5. 3 Chapter Reasons for Educating the Consumer in Food Selection. 8mm 0 O O C O O O O O O O O I O O O O O I O O O U V. THE ROLE OF THE RETAILER AND HANUEACTURER Introduction. . . . . . . The Grand Union Company . . . The Kroger Company. . . . . - Colonial Stores. Incorporated PickbN-Pay Supermarkets. Incorporated Store Demonstrations RGCIPCU e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e 0 Summary of Retailer Consumer Education . The Manufacturer. . . . . . . . . . . . The Campbell Soup Company . . . . . . . Swift and Company . . . . . Beech-Nut Packing Company The The Gerber Company . . . . Dow Chemical Company . The American Cyanamid Company . Summary of the Role of Manufacture e r! e n i OOOOOIOOOOIOOOQ. O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O C O O O O O O I O O l O O O O I O O 0 onsumer E dun goeeoeeeeeeeeeo. O O O O O O O C O on C C O O O O O O O C O O O O O VI. THE ROLE OF TRADE AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS . . . . . . Introduction The The The The The The vThe The The The The The The national Dairy Council The American Dairy Association Rational Association of Food Chains American Institute of Baking American Meat Institute wheat Flour Institute . Cereal In8t1tut3 e e e Fishery Council . . . . Tea Bureau 0 I O O O 0 American Spice Trade Association Poultry and Egg National Board American Medical Association Super Market Institute National Association of Retail Grow United States 0 e e e e e o e Grocery'flanufacturers of America Future Homemakers of America Consumers' Union.Beports Summary 0 e e e e e e e e e e e e VII. THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND EXTENSION Introduction The Sources of Information rederal Government 0 e e e e E‘e o e e e e e e e e e e e e O eoeeefieeeeeee SERVICES 0 o o o o «I. 0 O 0 I O O O O O O O O O Chapter Types of Information Available to Consumers. CantreloOOOIOOOOOOOOODOOOOOOOOIO Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UIOIOfPI’OductI.........-.......o.. The State Government and Agricultural Extension Services HichiganStateUnivereity................ Extension Service Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Consumerlnterests...ooo............. uotmd’OOOOOOOOOOOIOOOOOOOOIOOOO University of Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PlentifulFoodsProgram ................ Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VIII. ROLE OF ADVERTISING MEDIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magazines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Newspapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOIQViBiOn.ooeeeoeeeesooeoeeeeeee hdioOOOOOIOOOOOOOOOIIOO0...... Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11. SUMMARY AND CONCBUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . APPENDIonoeeIeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeOeOOOO BIBLIOGRAPHY-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Page . 99 . 99 .101 .103 .10# .105 .105 .106 .107 .111 .112 .113 .115 .115 .115 .119 Prgface Over two hundred studies have been made in the field of con- sumer education. Studies were made of consumer needs such as school practices. curriculum materials, methods. evaluations and classroom procedures. An extensive study of consumer buying. storing, and use of food products was made for the Grain Branch of the Production and Market- ing Administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture by the Amer- ican Institute of Baking. The results of that study indicated that correct buying. storing and use procedures were unknown to shoppers in the maJority of cases. In an investigation of consumer requests for information made by B.V. Gillespie in 19“? in conjunction with Good Housekeeping Iag- asine, requests for information on preparation. preservation. and nutritive values of food far exceeded other requests. Many inquiries referred to products by brand name. The inquiries showed a desire for information about the manufacturer and the retailer distributing the products. The findings should be worthwhile aids to manufacturers and retailers of consumer goods in the examination of their own products and consumer services. as they provide evidence that advertising and merchandising programs can be of more educational help. The findings show that a continuing study of the questions sent to the magazines. business organisations. and other groups interested in consumer problems should serve as a.basis for an educational service to schools and adult study groups. Such a “tad? would furnish suggestions for polls and surveys on c029 sumer problems and should be valuable in indicating trends n consumer needs. Other investigations have been made of families in which.exten- sive food education had been given. These families distributed their money among various types of food in such a.way as to obtain diets of a higher food value at less cost.than did the uninfluenced families 2 in the corresponding period. Studies have been and are being made of the consumer problem. A survey was conducted under the auspices of the Consumer Information Program of the combined Home Economics and Agriculture Extension Ser- vices of Michigan State University in.Muskegon. Michigan in August. 1956. This survey indicated that consumers did not. in general. under— .stand grading. marketing procedures, nutrition information and simple food buying terms. \ Ruth Iakel. Executive Director of the American Dietetic Assoc- iation said. on March 28. 195?, that from time to time there have been projects concerned with various phases of consumer education but none have been related to the retail supermarket. numerous studies made by educators, students. and business and Professional organisations in the past indicates. to some extent. an interest by these groups in consumer education. Consumer requests for information placed with magazines and manufacturers show an indication 13.V. Gilladpie, anggger Qgg§tiggg ggd Their Significangg. (‘9' Ybrk: Columbia University. l9h9 , p. 35. Zflargaret 0. Reid, Fggd r9; rggpia, (New York: John Wiley and Sons. Inc.. 1910). p. 186. z; of consumer interest in their own problems. The shopping habits of consumers have changed.to meet the buying methods indigenous to the supermarket industry. Consumer education related to supermarket re- tailing has not been extensively investigated. If the supermarket industry is basically an industry of food distribution. food products should be the subject of investigation. The writer has selected for the following thesis title: "Educating the Supemmarhet Consumer on the Subject of Food Products." A sound educational program that provides marketing information for consumers is aimed at deveIOping greater efficiency in the total marketing system and increased‘satisfactions to consumers. The dates of many sources used in this theises indicates the need fer new research as was suggested by Ruth Yskel, Executive Director of the American Dietetic Association. \\ W ENTRODUCTIQH In 1955 the American consumer purchased a record sixty eight billion dollars worth of food products. Each year the figure increases and seventy billion was forecasted for 1956 by Fortune magazine.1 One reason for the upsurge in food purchases might be the self- service super market which offers many times the items offered by the corner grocer of pre World War 11 days. Another reason might be that personal income is at an all-time high and as a result people eat better. Retail prices of food have been stable. relative to hard goods. which aids the brisk demand for varied products which remain abundant. Also. food processors. exploiting the consumer's desire to be free of the drudgery of cooking have turned to convenience food items. new products and new packaging methods. Develoments across the country have stepped up the need for providing consumers with marketing information about food products. their producers and distri- butors. Consumers are now faced with thousands of food products from which to choose. lee products. new forms of old products. new services. and the like are continually adding to the number of choices consumers met make. Since food constitutes the major family expenditure. consumers need adequate. unbiased information which will allow them to choose those products and services which can provide the greatest satisfaction from the time and money spent. Greater knowledge on the part of the consumers about such things as supplies and prices of foods allows consumers to make 11he Editors of Fortune. ghe Changipg Amgziggn grits}. (New York: Hanover House. 1955). p. lhl. more rational purchasing decisions among the alternative foods. A.greater consumer understanding of such things as new products. services, and grades permits consumers to make more intelligent choices which aid producgrs and marketers in making production and marketing decisions. 21mm Based on the continuing expansion of the food market. the major purpose of this thesis is to investigate the sources of information. the variety of programs available and the limitations of consumer edu- cation offered to the supermarket consumer., From the dissemination of ideas, a more coordinated and profit- able program of consumer education may be developed for the supermarket industry. Therefore. a second purpose of this thesis is to consolidate the ideas subscribed to by the members of the food industry for con- sumer education. \’ The third purpose of this thesis is to develop an awareness of the magnitude of the consumer education problem by the food industry. Qgfiinitiggg The consumer. in this thesis. is the ultimate consumer or user of food products and services produced or distributed by retail super- markets. Typical ultimate consumers are clerks. salesmen. laborers. farmers. bankers. men and.women of all trades and professions. Hgtggd “any groups are influential in educating the consumer. Each group will be investigated and reported on separately as to the . 2mm Re rt i th is A Pro ct f the rketi I o ati 291' Gongpgerg Ogomrative Extensign Servige for thg Iggy Ending Hgvg— §§£a_lfii§,(last Lansing: Michigan Stats‘Univsrsity. 1956). p. h. role each plays in the education of the supermarket consumer. Retailer, manufacturer, trade and professional organizations. government. and ex- tension services are examples of groups influencing consumers. Because various organisations within each group offer similar educational pro- grams. representativs samples from each group have been selected for presentation. The sources of information for this thesis are texts. periodicals. interviews. letters, annual reports and company literap ture. §ggp§ and Limitatiggg The educational facilities exemplified in this report are avail- able to all persons on request or through investigation. Enrollment in.high school or college courses in buying or food preparation will not be under consideration in this thesis; Formalized education of the entire consumertpublic would be an undertaking of unlimited prop- ortions and unfeasable at the present time. comparative values of programs to be presented are not included in the scope of this paper. This thesis is not to be construed as a list of available information. but rather as a source of-types of ed- unstional programs. The investigation did not consider who is doing consumer education or how much is being done. but the investigation considered what is being done to educate the consumer. CHAPTER II was conogrr or consuuparnnuggrxog Igtrgdggtigg Before considering the educational problems facing the consumer, an understanding of consumer education in general is necessary. This chapter will explain the term consumer education. objectives. purposes. and reasons for consumer education. Elsilhsnnuns: The consumer-buyer is the object of the educational program. The Nielsen Food Index Service, following a survey made in Eastern states of 2.333 housewives reported that the housewife does the buy--1 ing for 90 per cent of all families for regular and usual purchases. And. in a comparison made of male and female food purchases. women Purchased 87 per cent of the raw market foods and 79 per cent of the Packed foods.2 The educational program is therefore aimed at the female consumer who ultimately buys, eats or drinks the products which industry, agriculture and labor makes, grows. sells or distributes. Ed ti i P The provision of information necessary for the consumer to select foods for the optimum benefit to the family is consumer education in feeds. 1Margaret 0. Reid. Eggd f9; ngplg, (New York: John‘wiley and Sons, Inc.. 19u3), p. 186. 2V3. Waite, and R. Gassaw Jr.. e Go e d h 2 6 0rd 9 (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.. 1939 . p. 9 . b v , Con er E ti n The objectives of consumer education in foods are: 1. 7. 9. 10. To assist consumers in making an intelligent choice .between commodities.t To secure the fullest utility from the commodities chosen. To make an impartial check on the quality of the food purchased. . ' . To stimulate legislation which will eliminate worth- less or injurious_merchandise from the market. ‘ To stimulate legislative control over false and mis- leading advertising. To stimulate manufacturers in developing new products closely related to technical potentiality. To provide knowledge of essential facts concerning food products. To provide information as to what food products are available, its source, its purpose. construction and care. ‘ To develop an awareness of the variety of foods and services available and the contribution they can make through wise selection. To explain the position and benefits of the-organisap. tion. operation, and functions of systems of production. distribution, and.merchandising. 11. To show how the tax dollar is spent on behalf of the consumer. . 12. To develop an appreciation for the contributions made by private enterprises for the advancement and pro- tection of the consumer. The Vglug 9f Consumer Educatigg "Consumers who are better informed about such things as food values. costs, and prices will tend to use-their time and money more wisely. More efficient market selection should also result if diffi- culties of market selection were reduced."3 values of consumer education to the retailer are: an audience receptive to change; a.healthy customer who buys good food: a customer who knows how to shop and demands little time from the retailer. makes less errors in purchasing and is more satisfied.with purchases made. An educated consumer will also keep retail competition keen by helping, through better market selection, to “thin out the dogs." By providing the consumer with information and skills that will aid her in becoming an intelligent user of products and services. the consumer is allowed to raise her own standard of living and that of .the community as a whole. That which is good for the community is often good for the merchants as well. :M.G. Reid, 92, Cit.. p. 15. If consumers are nutrition—educated. the retailer may also benefit by placing basic food needs in various locations throughout the store so that nutrition minded consumers will be drawn to all de- partments. One who is nutrition—educated has a knowledge of’basic nutrition. “The aim of all merchandisers is to induce customers to shop every store department. An appreciation of the importance of a bal- anced diet encourages such store—wide shopping. Helping tell the story -of good nutrition thusubecomes part of the long range self interest of chain food companies." Rgggong for Consumer Educatign The fashion changes in'foodgeg. Various sizes. ready to cook. etc.) are beneficial to producers who have enlarged their market selece tion. But changes are costly to retailers who must new stock greater Varieties and as a result more costly to consumers. Consumer goods are constantly changing and multiplying which is. in part, due to tech- nological advancements and'scientific investigation. As goods on the market change with increasing rapidity. those engaged in marketing are going to have to take more and more responsibility in educating the consumer about the types of goods being offered, what they are useful for, and how they should be used and cared for. It is impossible for the schools to handle adequately more than the general principles of good buying and some of the characteristics of the market. Infermap tion about specific goods is often out of date before a school course is finished. The student sees no need for becoming in- formed about goods that he may not purchase for many years to come. So education... has to occur near the time of purchase. 1“ ‘ 3.5.2.0. muons. March 2. 1957. More research could be carried out as to the form this educatio might take. such as labels. leaflets. and retail store classes. In terms of present day facilities and costs of merchandising and retailing. it would be beneficial to food distributors if con- sumers planned and investigated their purchases before coming to the market because small quantity purchases. excessive demands for free services. and complaints on poor buys all causing added expense may be corrected by a re-evaluation of the use of consumer education and the aVailability of reliable sources.of information. Although a.few consumers are well informed concerning their tasks as buyers. unfortunately the maJority lack information which makes them intelligent buyers under the existing circumstances. On the whole, consumer buyers are not informed regarding either the economic factors affecting their tasks or the practical prob- lems of choosing goods day by day in the market. Consumer buyers do not always carefully detenmine their needs. When they go to the market they have not analyzed.what they want the goods for and are. therefore. not able to select qualities best fitted to their needs. They are not familiar with the operation of the agencies which serve them. They know litt1e~ about selling tactics and efforts to influence their choices. They are gullible in believing what sellers tell them about goods. They possess little information about the factors affecting - prices of goods they buy. the elements of marketing costs. and the effect of their buying habits on the costs. Consumer-buyers are not well informed regarding laws operating for their pro- ‘ tection. the methods by which these laws are enforced, or their re- sponsibility for effective enforcement. . Many consumerbbuyers are not able to recognize cuts of meat or different varieties of foods offered...They do not know what to look for on labels of different goods...They do not know the meanings of grade marks and how the use of standards helps 1‘11 1‘ in. L. Brew. "Home Economist Looks at Marketing.“ J 4‘. x1v(Ju1y, 1919). p. 75. them in buying. They are not able to recogni go even the most ob- vious frauds or to detect misrepresentations. ' Hgthgdg gagd in Consumer Edugatign Consumers can improve their living standards markedly and quick- ly by taking advantage of the limited information available through schools. commercial companies. laboratories. rating agencies, govern- ment agencies. market bureaus. magazines. bulletins, newspapers, libraries. radio. and voluntary clubs and organizations. With more home living and higher education. young women are developing a more intelligent interest in meal preparation and food buying. "Efforts are being made... to bring commercial advertising in line with nutritional advice and to reach consumers in stores. at point of sale, as well'as in their homes. Personal contacts through face to face relationships with advisors seems important in addition. to impersonal contacts through classroom lectures, radio addresses and 7 newspaper columns.” K Programs each as the Michigan Consumer Information Service are being developed so that ruralvfamilies are visited by an agent who imparts advice to the individual family. The relative effectiveness of such methods over commercial mass‘media has yet to be determined. Commercial advertisements are not meant to be educative since “Sales Pitches” are usually not educative. \ QJessie V. Colee, e C n B d e John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1938). p. 3o. 7&6. Reid, 92. cm. p. 190. , (New York: 10 “Taken as a whole. the demand for food is inelastic. The diet of a moderately active man. cannot vary far from 3,000 calories per day if he is to maintain health and well being... By and large. there- fore. the American diet clings rather closely to this figure, and the 'Buy More Bread' and 'Buy More Meat‘ campaign. if successful. must result not in the consgmption of more food but in the substitution of one food for another.“ Early discussions with housewives indicate that they do not want to be told what to do. but want to learn the facts so as to decide for themselves the best means of purchasing their food supplies.9 Facts‘will help the consumer to recognize values. but more im- portant than masses of facts is- an inquiring attitude of mind. an alert-a mess-to information that is constantly being presented. th Co e M be Educated Comparisons with previous buying-habit-surveys prompted the Du Pont Company to state that stere decisions have grown with the expansion of self—service. Detailed shopping lists are less important to many of today’s shoppers than they have been in the past. In.the modern 100 per cent self-service store. decisions on food buying and meal planning are made frequently in the store. Packaging. displays. point of sale promotions. reminder of advertising. and menu suggestions 8 Edith Hayley, Economic; g; Epgd Consumption. (New York: “caram— Hill Book Company. Inc.. 1932). Po 23“- 9Ael. Albrecht. Apout Foods and ngketg. (New York: Columbia University. 1932). p. 3. ' ll undoubtedly influence today's shopper to make decisions to buy 70.8 10 per cent of all items after reaching the supermarket. In a survey in l95h on buying-habits of consumers, the following statistics were released: Item: Per Cent Store Decision: Sweet Rolls and Coffee Cake 87.0 Packaged Rolls . 85.3 variety Bread 76.9. Cake 90.“ White Bread 62.2 . 11 General Selection of Baked Products 72.h If these figures can be taken as an indication of where purchase decisions are made. then the opportune place for education is at the point of decision. the supermarket. Emphasis can be placed on the consumer education problem through the retailer. manufacturer. and associations providing in-store material. I The consumer education pregrams usually start with an exploration of the problem areas. If the problem can be seen and defined. solutions may be forthcoming. The next chapter will present the basic problems facing the consumer. logatggt Pact; About Todfiy'g Shoppe; in Super Market]. (3.1. DuPont De Honours and Company. Inc.. 1956). P- 8. 1 Lgteet Zagtg About ggged Goods Purchgg§§ in §gper gggkgts. (3.1. Most De Hemours and Company. Inc.. 1951* . p. 9. ll undoubtedly influence today's shopper to make decisions to buy 70.8 10 per cent of all items after reaching the supermarket. In a survey in l95b on buying-habits of consumers. the following statistics were released: Item: Sweet Rolls and Coffee Cake Packaged Rolls Variety Bread Cake White Bread General Selection of Baked Products Per Cent Store Decision: 87.0 85. 3 76.9 90.“ 62.2 11 72A If these figures can be taken as an indication of where purchase decisions are made. then the opportune place for education is at the point of decision. the supermarket. Emphasis can be placed on the consumer education problem through the retailer. manufacturer. and associations providing inrstore material. The consumer education programs usually start with an exploration of the problem areas. If the problem can be seen and defined. solutions may be forthcoming. The next chapter will present the basic problems facing the consumer. trt th t.(E.I. DuPont De Honours and Company. Inc.. 1956). p. 8. 1 e t bout ed 0 Purcha n r . (3.1. DuPont De Hemours and Company. Inc.. 195“). p. 9. b CHAPTER‘III THE CONSUMER.3DUG§§ION Psosiggg PART 1: BASIC PRODUCT SELECTION Juuazmhmuisn ' In order to understand the educational programs available to consumers. it is helpful to understand the problems facing the con- sumer. Basically. there are two problems: Basic Product Selection and Product Selection In Supermarkets. - Three reasons why product selection is a problem for consumers are: hidden values make selection difficult. a high price does not necessarily mean high value; multiplicity of articles makes it diffi- cult to choose the product to suit a specific need; lack of standardi- sation is perplexing regarding sizes. colors. shapes and kinds. Market selection becomes a problem because of variety and dupli-. cation of products offered and the values of layout and services each market supplies to the consumer. - This chapter will outline the basic product selection problems. I— P d it _ Hidden values make selection difficult. Quality and price are not often correlated. Some products of low quality sell at equal or higher prices than the same item of higher quality. The following chart illustrates this statement. P i e d lit f d Gr n d." Be kind: Yasminrmdz minim: .1 A , i.e r 3 s deco .lk cl.— _ V ‘?r 13 2293.3 Price per smug 9M1“! Grass: Blue Label .19 A Blue Ridge .03 C Crown of Maryland .08 C Fermdale . 11 0 Fort .15 B 103‘ .11 0 Premier .16 B Shivers .13 3 Stokley' .11 O - . 13 B Sweetheart .25 A Torsch's 1.18 01 Whi to Rose , 17 3 The consumer is the final Judge of product quality if the pro- duct is to satisfy her wants. That product which satisfies more wants or the same wants more fully than other products is the product of highest quality in terms of consumer Judgment. Price. however. does not necessarily indicate value. The price may be determined by the quality of the material used. the quality of the workmanship performed. and the name and reputation of manufacturer or retailer. Good quality may be found at low prices and low quality at higher prices. (See chart above.) There is a need to know when 'Gonsumers are commonly advised to buy more than on equality even though the more expensive quality would be satisfactory for all purposes. BJules Backman. Price Practices and Price Pglicigg, (new York: The Ronald Press. 1953). p. 160. In In other words. consumers are to consider the various uses andéby the quality most econmmical for the use to which it is to be put." Hany buying errors are caused by the consumer not knowing what qualities she should look for in view of the uses to which the food is to be put. A.large proportion of errors are due to the consumer's inability to find out the characteristics of the products offered for sale. Consumer purchasing today is largely a matter of taking a chance. Goods vary from year to year. Technological advancements are made and the consumer is hardrpressed to maintain complete information on.new products. More goods are being packaged so that the consumer often cannot feel or even look at the goods she is buying. Therefore. with the increasing complexity of new products. the consumer can become less and less a Judge of the quality of the products she is buying. A.person who is unable to judge the quality of the products she buys by their intrinsic merits is an uneducated consumer-buyer. The consumer is then.forced to base her judgment on other pseudo-indices of quality such as the price of the product. the size. longstanding and general reputation of the producing firm. The consumer then falls prey to the emotional suggestions of advertising since she is searching for aids to bolster her insuf- ficient buying knowledge- If many consumers are unable to Judge the quality of food pro- ducts. the retailer and manufacturer may not have an inducement to improve the quality of goods offered. The distributor may reason that ZMargaret G. Reid. 799d ygr 2992],, (New Yorkn John Wiley and Sons. Inc.. 19“3)o Po 35“- 15 it is pointless to offer improved quality to consumers who cannot dis- tinguish quality.3 Almost unlimited supplies of high quality food.products are avail- able from producers and distributors. Procurement of these food.pro- ducts involves certain problems. The price of food products must be set at a figure which represents a fair return to all who have con- tributed.to making it available. The consumer prefers to pay low prices for food. a necessity. in order that a larger portion of her income might be available to Purchase luxuries. Often the consumer does not realise that the producer and distributor are similarhy motivated. It would seem that the consumers' knowledge of the economic and social factors involved in procuring the daily food supply is very meager. As social and economic factors in the marketing system change. their problems will be presented in new form. As conditions change. new knowledge is usually accumulated and necessarily communicated. In referring to the broad scope of economic problems. Dr. Edwin Nourse. one of the nation's leading economists. declared: 'The central point is how to organise the economy so we can sat- isfy consumer wants.‘ Given then. an economy that produces an abundance of goods and services. we as individuals and as family units are responsible to improve our quality of wants and to make wise decisions in the market places so as to get the grea est satisfaction from the usewof our time. energy, and money. 3T. Scitovsky. ”Ignorance as a Source of Oligopoly Power." Agegr .isesnscfinsnis_§sziss. IL (May. 1950). p. 50. A.V. Troelstrup. “Consumer Problems - A.Basic Course.“ UBEA F9133, V11 (March. 1953). p. 13- 16 Economic factors of an era cannot be disregarded. Disregarding the facts that pricing and quality factors must bend to the inflationany or deflationary trends of the times would be unwise. "Food prices tend to fluctuate much more widely than do many other types of prices and within the food group there are wide divergencies of behavior.”5 A reason for this condition may be the perishability or the seasonability of many food products. With a variety of products on.the‘market. the need for informa- tion on correct evaluation is increased. The physical aspect. the ' selection of the food itself demands that the consumer must know qual- ity. uses. and care of specific items such as meats and produce. When there is a limited variety on the market. the problem of quality selec- tion is limited to only a few_items. Information about a few items is more easily mastered. However. the problem of menu planning and budget- ing becomes difficult because of limited substitutions. As the Variemy increases. the quality information necessary increases and the ease of menu planning and budgeting increases. Choosing how to spend money occurs frequently. Many commodities exist in a variety of qualities. and it is difficult to determine the Proper quality of the particular article suitable for the individual family. even after the general purchase has been decided upon; The solution of this problem lies in the proper education of the consumer and in the working out and enforcement of proper standards by which the consumer may Judge the true worth of the products that she buys. —_. 5J. 301011“, 92. Cite. Pe “0e .._ XL 17 W At present. curious buying superstitions exist among con- sumers in different places. In connection with food. for example. there are a great many. In flew York. consumers have paid.higher prices for white eggs than for brown. whereas the reverse is true in Boston. Chemically there is no significant difference between the two kinds of eggs. White bread is less nutritious than.whole wheat bread; yet there is a feeling that white bread is superior to whole wheat bread. Rye bread indeed is considered even less respectable than.whole wheat. We find that the North demands yellow corn meal. and the South desires white. Apples are custom» arily bought because they are red; some of the other varieties are equally good and much less expensive. The South wants yellow onions. but the North will take red ones too. Certain cuts of meat are thought to be much better than others. The cheaper cuts. however. generally yield much more in calories jper dollar than the higher priced cuts. As a.matter of fact. many consumers are unable to Judge the grades of meats they are purchasing. and in consequence. often receive poorer grades than those for which they paid. The policy of lowering the grades of meat sold at a time of rising wholesale market and of restor- ing the former grades on a declining wholesale market. therehy furnishing meats_to customers at prices more nearly uniform than would be possible if the same grades were maintained constantly. is followed by many dealers and is regarded.with approval by per- sons of high business standards in the trade. The shifting of grades is somewhat easier to those dealers who usually carry more than one grade. Carrying more than one grade also enables an unscrupulous dealer to sell meat of a lower grade to a customer' who is unskilled in judging. at the same price as meat of higher grade to a discriminating customer. Unchanging food habits and man's natural distrust of new and unfamiliar foods are common phenomena. Many food habits are strong enough to become characteristic of an entire nationality or race. It is often said that the Irish live on potatoes. Chinese dots on rice. and the Mexican loves chile and beans. 6 v.0. Waite, and'R. Cassady Jr.. Th9 Congumer gpd the Economic Ogdgr, (new York: McGraw—Hill Book Company. Inc.. 1939). P- 317- 18 In an attempt to correct the problems of food habits. educators . have added another areaof consumer investigation. Consumers are now being educated in the field of nutrition. Efficiency in choice and market selection calls for extensive knowledge concerning nutrients essential to optimum health. the foods in which they are found. and the most economical sources. Grade marks on canned foods are sometimes fallaciously believed to be preportionate ratings of nutritive value. Some consumers believe cheaper cuts of meat are less nutritious than expensive cuts. .Care should be taken to addust education to existing preferences and prejudices. If this is done resistance to suggestions for improving dietary habits may be minimized. The channels of education exemplified in the following chapters may be looked upon as the key to eliminate deep-rooted misconceptions. In any case. cooperation of many people is important in improving food .habits. D191; ' ggNgt 1-; tion There have been great strides in the field of human nutrition in the past twenty years. Knowledge now exists to achieve better health through better nutrition. There are few people who are nutrition mind- ed and fewer who apply what they know. The problem for educators is that often only through forceful education is the consumer audience aroused. American consumers spend,almost 25 per cent of their income on food. Much improvement of diets may be had without increasing food 19 expenditures. Families with low food expenditures manage to secure adequate diets. while families with much larger food expenditures may have inadequate diets. Some malnutrition occurs in high income fam-l ilies. The frequency of poor diet declines. however. with increase of income. In the field of diet. for instance. too much money may add rich carbohydrates and sweets to the daily food intake. The result may be that the diet will have less milk. fresh fruit. and green vegetables than desirable. "There are many reasons to think that large numbers of children of wealthy homes actually have some of the worst diets - in the country." Almost one-third of the total pepulation of the United States falls into the low income group. Product quality information would contribute to a substantial rise in their living standards.7 . Probably a better knowledge of nutrition.might. in border- line cases. make all the difference between a certain fixed sum of money yielding a diet inadequate for health and one just able to maintain a satisfactory state of health. In the lowest income groups. however. it is impossible to escape the conclusion that no amount of skillful choosing and careful spending will yield a diet conforming to modern nutritional standards. for the protec— ive foods such as eggs. milk. fruit, in which these diets are seriously deficient. are. under present conditions. all expensive foods bgyond the reachjof the less well-off sections of the com- munity. ZJ.E. Mendenhall and H. Harap. angumgr Eduggtigg. (New York: D. Appleton-Century Company. Inc.. 19h3). p. 32. . 814.6, Reid. m. 015.. p. 18. 20 Perhaps. malnutrition can be laid. in part. to the consumers' under-rating the importance of nutritional health. This point of under— rating may be exemplified.by the consumer cutting food budgets to pay for luxuries. or the elimination of high quality foods in order to re- duce weight. Sensory and aesthetic enjoyment of exotic foods may be rated above nutritional health based on standard and common foods. The consumer has several basic responsibilities to herself and to her family in the selection of food products. She should know the nutritional needs and supply them and realize the food prejudices of the family and meet them. She should be able to distinguish between fair. good. and best qualities in each food to be selected and to care, > for these products in the home. She should be able to budget her in- come and food expenditures and to select the correct market and be able to use the market facilities. Better nutrition of a national group as a whole cannot be obtained until large numbers of people are practicing better daily .habits of food consumption. Since such habits must be based on scientific knowledge of what constitutes an adequate diet and how' foods may be obtained in the social and economic environment in which we now live. education has an important place in making a contribution to the optimal nutrition of the nation. This respon-- ' sibility has been accepted and the average person knows more about how to combine foods in order togmake them nutritionally adequate than he has known at any period. Confusing this problem to a large extent is the tendency of the consumer to buy by name: the idea. the connotation of a thing rather than.the thing itself. Enforcement is a method.where mandatory grades 93.J. Stewart. Ihgdg Production. ngketigg angumptiog, (new York: Prentice Hall. Inc.._1938). P- 643- 21 would replace brand names. However. education as to the use of brand names would be another method of product selection. Brigg ngfergncg A brand is “a mark...upon a container to designate the quality. manufacturer. etc... of the contents ... an identifying mark ... as a . 10 trade mark: hence. quality grade. class or make of goods.” A trade- mark is a "word. letter. device or symbol. used in connection with mer- chandise and pointing distinctly to the origin or ownership of the arti- ll cle to which it is applied.” Brand names have become descriptive terms of a particular type of product. For example: cellophane. lin- oleum. shredded wheat and aspirin were once brand names and have now been legally defined as generic terms necessitating the manufacturer of the above products to place the name of the company before the gener- ic term to differentiatejone company's product from that of another company. The discussion of brands refers to both manufacturer or pro- cessor brands and distributor brands. Tradeémarks and brand names are tools which advertisers and manufacturers have developed to identify their products. To be regis- tered as a trade-mark. a brand name must be fanciful rather than des- criptive. The brand name must identify or distinguish one product from another without using descriptive terms which are common property of all manufacturers and retailers. Once the consumer has selected a loflerriam Webster. Webster' New Ce e 1 to Dicti . (Massachu- Bettes: G.C. Merriam 00.. 1949 . P. 102. 111b1d.. p. 109. satisfactory brand, the brand method of identification can be useful as a means of product selection. ”Brand advertising of food gives little information to aid con- sumers in their market selection. other than advice to buy by brand 12 ' The Brand Name Fbundation spends approximately 13 million 13 name. dollars yearhy for brand and trade-mark education of that type. Very probably the consumer has widely welcomed the branded art- icle. Brands have relieved the consumer of the decision-making prob- lem of daily selection. The consumer now has a pro-educated or pre- conceived selection instilled by habit. The brand name intends to gain recognition for the manufacturers' product and to bring about a certain amount of consumer preference and loyalty. The manufacturer and re- tailer desire that the brand name be so firmly entrenched in the mind of the consumer that she will believe that the product is the only product capable of satisfying her wants. As a result. the consumer may be depended upon to accept no substitute. Without brand names, the consumer would need other methods of who consumer may have to discover through trial and error The brand selection. which products are good quality and which are lower quality. name becomes one indication of the level of product quality. “To the extent that the quality of a brand is held constant. its existence helps consumers to repeat a satisfactory purchase and to avoid an 1214.0. Reid. 92, Cit. p. 353. 13”Brand names Foundation Observes 10th Anniversary," Printeg'g _I_r_1_lg, comm (April 21+. 1953). p. 17. 23 1h unsatisfactory one.“ quality uniformity in branded products. the value of brands as a guide However. unless consumers can be assured of in selection disappears. If price is used as one indicator of quality for a consumer. the brand alone may lose its value when a branded pro- duct is sold under different prices. Branded items are frequently. though not always. sold under uniform prices. There are some consumers who believe that the market provides buying information. With foods which cannot be inspected by the con- sumer. she maintains that sufficient guidance may be obtained from brand name. the price which is charged. and the quality controls ad- ministered by the Food and Drug Administration. The value of each guide may be questioned. Brands. for example. do not seem equally pre- ferred all over the country. Regional preferences of brands should be recognised, though brands have. at times. replaced market grades as determinates of consumer choice. The value of price as a determinate of value has been discussed. The Food and Drug Administration's role in consumer education will be discussed in a later chapter. Vhether or not a brand name is a standard of quality depends on the manufacturer. There is no law that prevents a manufacturer from lowering the quality of a product or decreasing the quality in a container. as long as no false claims are made on the label. While branded goods which are nationally advertised generally re- main fairly constant in quality. manufacturers sometimes sell the same goods under several brand names. at different prices. 11+".G.R61d, 92. Cine P. 5180 ”Wm Household “nan“ °°rP°r8t1°no 19“?. p. 24. 24 Hams. identical in quality. are sold by Swift and Company under both the first and second grade labels which exemplifies the inade-' quancies of brands as duality guides. When they buyer cannot tell whether he is getting goods of uniform quality or not. it is obvious that the trade name does not help him. Although the consumer tends to associate good quality with branded goods. they are not always of good quality. Under such circumstances. trade names are not very helpful to the con— sumer in getting his money's worth. Because a branded article has prestige and because a large advertising campaign is tremen- dously expensive, the seller may charge more for his product than one who handles an unbranded product. The goods sold without a brand name may be less expensive and of better quality than the branded product. Of course. this does not mean that unbranded goods are always more desirable. The buyer not only has to make a choice between goods with trade names. and those with no trade names. but he must choose between different brands of the same product. Since the trade name supplies no specific information about the quality of the product. it supplies him with no basis for choice. Poor qualitiei as well as good qualities. are sold under attractive brand names. 6 Brands may. however. have some value. When the producer or manufacturer places his name upon a product. the integrity of the man- ufacturer acts as a guarantee of quality. Also. the brand labeling brings other guides into use with label information. presentation of advertised claims. and the testing facilities behind large brand pro— ducers. When consumers find a satisfactory brand. repeat purchases are made possible. Repeat or habit purchases saves selection time in shop- ping since if a preferred brand is available. time need not be spent looking over other brands. ‘Gonsumers may send other persons to do their shopping if specification by brand name is used. _._— 16M.B. Trilling, s.x. Eberhart. and I.V. Nicholas. When Ygu p33, (Chicago: J.B. Lippincott Company. 1938). p. 223.. 25 However. assumptions regarding the saying of time and energy in buying are based upon the consumer‘s possession of information concern-. ing qualities of goods marketed under particular brands. Consumers must select items from the multitude of brands on the market which suits their personal wants. As recently as 1950. the average supermarket carried 1500 brands. today the average is 4000 and some of the larger stores carry as many as 5000. 13’195h. the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain found some 12,039 grocery brands in 15 different cities. There were for example. #1 brands of packaged dry baby cereals. There were 9h brands of other cold cereals. P Grocer. a trade publication. found that in the four years between 1950 and 195“, the number of brands of household supplies increased from 175 to 377; baby foods from 108 to 183; frozen foods from 121 to ln9. The Independent Grocers Alliance found that some of its members were carrying as many as ho brands of macaroni. 87 kinds of canned meat 58 brands of canned fish and 152 different canned‘ fruit brands.1? - ’ One defect in the use of brands as a means of selection is that they provide no means of making comparisons between the quality of brands which have not been used by the individual consumer. There are too many brands to expect consumers to be able to compare all brands. In 1940. there were. on the market. 215 brangs of canned peas. 1&2 brands of coffee and 130 brands of macaroni. One survey showed that. nevertheless, brands are sometimes used as guides to consumer buying with 78 per cent of all purchases made by brand prefersnce.19 17W. XXI (Maw. 1956). p. 255. lama. Reid. 9.2. Cit.. p. 518. 26 A.market analysis made in 1953 revealed the market trends of selection by brand names. ‘ Butter . . . . . . . . . . . 92.9 per cent Margarine . . . . . . . . . 86.6 per cent Frozen Orange Juice . . . . 73.0 per cent Frozen Vegetables . . .‘. . 78.3 per cent Frozen Poultry . . . . . . . 39.9 per cent Pancake Mix . . . . . . . . 81.8 per cent Pie Crust. . . . . . . . . . “6.3 per cent 20 Cake Mix . . . . . . . . . . 88.0 per cent Many consumers use brands as guides in'buying. A.survey of consumers' preferences in New York City showed that 95 per cent of the 2,h79 requests of 1,3h3 customers particular brands were specified for coffee. tea. sugar. bread. canned.pineapple. peaches. peas. beans. and catsup. Of the goods actually purchased. 91 per .cent were branded goods. The division of Markets of The Califor- nia.Department of Agriculture in a Joint survey with the Califor- nia Canning Peach Growers found that 6h per cent of 1.16h'house- wives questioned asked for canned peaches mainly by giving the brand name. A study of food buying habits of #60 Missouri house- wives showed that brands were more familiar to them and were used more oiten as guides in buying than other market devices avail- able. 19Hobart and Wood. Sglligg Fgrcgs. (New York: The Ronald Press. 1953). Pa 690 203.]. Green. “Seventeen Market Analyses Reveals Buyers' Market Trends.“ Printgrg 13;, ccmn (May 8. 1953). pp. 48—49. 21.13. Coles. Th Co r a , (New York: John Wiley and Sons. 1938 . p. “08. 27 A study of consumers' brand changes showed that consumers had difficulty in selecting one favorite brand from the many on the market. Most consumers gave as a reason for brand chgnges. the dissatisfaction with the low quality of the branded product.2 The use of brands as a means of selection is an inherent prise ciple of super market shopping. Pre-selling by brand name may be ~rlisted as one of the greatest impacts of the super markets on today's merchandising techniques. As products are advertised by brand the super market's sales radius expands in direct ratio to manufacturer‘s expanded advertising. The name brands as a selling point constitute the maJor aspect of the impulse buying benefit enJoyed by super markets. Consumers can be persuaded. through advertising. to demand a - particular brand instead of a general commodity. The consumer selects the most familiar product. usually highly advertised or most easily recognized by name or design of container. "very likely. the gains from more efficient utilization of re- sources that would result from improved consumer knowledge would be substantially augmented from lower costs due to stagdardization of output and from lower expenditures on advertising." 3 As long as consumers select products by brand name. which infers selection by reputation. a partial monopoly of selection is established. However. a manufacturer may haye sole right to his trade name and his 22 13.3. Comish, “Why Customers Change Brands.“ W. 1.11 (Harch. 1953). p. 29. ' 23A.R. Oxenfeldt. “Consumer Knowledge: Its Measurement and Ex- gggt.” ggvigw 9f Economic; and Statigticg. XXIII (November. 1950). p. 28 advertising of it. but because of it. he has no monopoly of the pro- duct. If he did. there would be no need for the brand name. Summing up the value of brands to consumers from the stand- point of the convenience of using them in buying. their effect on prices. and their usefulness as guides to qualities of goods. it seems rather doubtful if the consumer-buyer of today can accept brands as an entirely adequate guide in buying. They may pay more for branded goods than for those not branded, especially for those widely advertised.without getting better quality. The convenience of using them in buying depends upon the uniformity of qualities of goods. Their value as guides to quality rests upon the ability to make other guides effective. which in turn also rests upon the uniformity of qualities. There are real reasons for believing that qualities of goods marketed under particular brands may vary considerably at present. If consumer buyers are to continue to rely upon brands in buying. producers will need to take measures to provide more information cgflcerning qualities of branded goods than they provide at present. W The supermarket often does not provide enough information about the value or qualities of the products being sold. Sellers have shied away from grades. descriptive or performance labeling perhaps because of their fear of competition in quality from other merchants. Retail- ers and manufacturers have excused themselves on two grounds: 1. That consumers do not know how to use grades and labels in- telligently -— that the consumers do not understand the terms used on labels. 2. That it is impossible to grade or describe the characteris— tics of many products. 2hJ.V. . 00133. M00 pe [+210 29 In some measure both excuses are Justified. However. the opportunity to educate the consumer in the use of devices. terms. and to investigate the possibilities of grading many products does remain. V A standard is a criterion with which products are compared in, order to describe them. The aids or devices for consumer-buyers would be made beneficial if a standard by which each could be measured.would be made. Progress in setting standards has been made but there is little uniformity in the terms used to identify standards. This lack of uniformity in terms is evident in both government grades and commer— cial classification of products. Mea rade £9.91 Lam and Mutth Per; Prime ‘ Prime or No. A 1 re. 1 choice Choice or No. 1 No. 2 Good. Good or Nb. 2 No. 3 Standard Medium or No. 3 no. u Commercial . Common or No. 4 Utility Cutter or No. 5 Low Gutter or No. 6 my: page .L B O D Skim Mi Gr de Extra Standard Third Grade Gheegg Gggggg Extra Fancy Fancy No. 1 re. 2 No. 3 Poult Gra Special Prime Choice Commercial Canned Vggetgbles and Fruit; Grade: Grade A or Fancy Grade 3 Extra Standard or Choice Grade 0 Standard Off Grade Substandard Within grade systems for products there is a.wide range of con- sumer difficulty. If theconsumer wanted to buy the second grade of each of the meat products she would buy choice beef. No. l lamb. and , No. 2 pork. The third grade cheese is graded No. l. The best grade of beef is prime but the second grade of poultry is prime. The second. grade of cheese is fancy but the best grade of fruit is fancy. The best grade of whole milk is A and the best grade of skim milk is Extra. There appears a need for standardization of standards. There also may be a need to educate the consumer as to what each standard grade mark actually means. Often. the consumer sets values on flavor or other personal tastes while U.S. grades may be set on color and size. Often. the consumer is confused by U.S. Grade and 0.8. Inspected stamps on food products in that she confuses the two in meaning the same. The round seal indicates inspected for cleanliness and wholesomeness while 'the shield designates grade quality. Several states require some foods to be sold to consumers with an accurate statement as to grade. Per example. ten states require that eggs be graded. some cities have milk grades, Seattle has compulsory 31 meat grading. north Dakota requires the grade labeling of canned fruits and vegetables. Few consumers actually understand the grade meaning. A few attempts have been made through questioning consumers to discover their interest in additional information. The national Canners Association reportsuthat 85 per cent of the 7.500 women questioned stated that they had no difficulty in selecting a satis- factory quality of canned fruit and vegetables. In spite of the fact that their replies would indicate that they were unaware that important information was commonly missing. more than half of these women (when asked specifically about standard grades) ex- pressed the belief that grade labeling would make their selection easier. Both the Gallup and Fortune polls have shown a very wide- spread interest in grade labeling. In many cases. the persons questioned had a very 1nadequate conception of what grade labeling involved. but the surveys do indicate a frequent sense of dissatis- ‘faction with the means of selecting manyfoods.2 The label contains information required by law for consumer protection. If the consumer fails to read the label. the consumer loses that protection. If the consumer fails to understand the terminology on the label, the consumer loses that protection also. summing Advertising is a means of persuasion.and informs consumers . about the qualities of the product and at the same time influences. to some extent, the consumer's purchase. Increasing sales by affecting the minds of potential customers is an aim of advertising. Adyertising uses various kinds of appeal to change potential customers' subjective valuations of the goods or services advertised. There are several methods by which a consumer may be pursuaded. By ayoiding conflict the advertiser may refer to points of common 2514.0. Reid. spasm. . 1a.. 519. 32 belief (such as orange juice contains vitamin C). A second method of persuasion may close the sale: indirect suggestion. The advertiser may show how vitamin C combats colds. To be free from colds. then. one needs to buy the advertised.brand of orange Juice. ‘ Often. the advertiser may use phraseology causing "yes-responses" from the consumer. The responses are built up to a conclusion that at first may have brought a ”no-response". Appeals to fears more or less social acceptance often uses the ”yes~response" method. Finalhy. there is a method of persuasion that eliminates all means of solution and leaves only one. This persuasive method is called the “this-orbnothing" method. The consumer '.'.. has hampersuaded when she is made to feel keen- ly and with renewed emotion concerning a subject to_which she had previously been emotionally inert and apathetic.”26 Advertising can and does increase the demand for many products but the extent to which it does varies widely. The success of adver- tising depends upon the circumstances of distribution. economy. and the social factors of the community. For example. advertising can create a want. and at times influence the consumers' willingness to pay. however. advertising cannot directly produce the ability to spend. Those who can afford to pay for it. will buy food to eat. There is little need for advertisers to build a demand for food. But. demand for a specific food product may be increased through advertising. When 2§B.T. Oliver. D.C. Dickey. H.P. Zelko. Cgmmgnicgtivg §p§ggh. (New York: The Dryden Press. 1955). P. 257. ' “' 33 there is no ready-made market for a particular product. it is possible by means of clever advertising to create a market. A.very important aid to consumers in interpreting advertising is an understanding of its fundamental purposes. The purpose of adver- tising is to sell the product. 'Its.primary purpose is to make con- sumers wggt goods. It is not intended fundamentally to help them'bgz 27 goods.‘ The problem facing the consumer.then. is one of interpretation. The consumer may be confused by the disadvantages and advantages of advertising. When used intelligently by the consumer. some advertising may be an aid to choice—making. a time and energy saver. and an instru- ment helping the consumer to get what she needs at the price she can pay. There are several uses to which advertising may be put in educa- ting the consumer. 1. Advertising can introduce new products to the consumer. 2. Advertising informs the consumer about new uses for old products. 3. _Advertising tells consumers what goods are available: where. how. and when they may be purchased. 4. Advertising. in some cases. indicates prices consumers may expect to pay for the products in the markets. 5. Advertising makes possible mass production and merchandising which often leads'to lower consumer prices. 27.13. Coles. Mu” p. uzn. 6. Retailer advertising often gives facts about quality, es- pecially in cases of seasonal foods. Advertising enthusiasts. claim that advertising ”...is an import- ant means of education; that advertisers in recent years have helped to make people vitamin conscious and to discover the potential endoy- ment to be derived from foods: and that it teaches people how to buy. 28 to aye. and to care for products." Advertising cannot assume all of the credit for the mtrition education of the consumer. Ior example. citrus fruits have been ad- vertised extensively by the California Fruit Growers' Exchange, and yet. citrus fruits have not enjoyed the increased demand by consumers as lettuce and tomatoes which have not been advertised nationally. Also. considerable brand advertising has been carried on for canned fruits and vegetables, yet. they have not had the increase of consump- tion as have fresh produce. Retail advertising. however, does reach the consumer and may be the media necessary for mass education. The following chart is taken 1 from an A.G. Neilsen survey showing the percentage of families re- Porting regular reading of grocery store advertising and buying spec- 29 ‘ ified foods on sale as classified by income groups. 28m. Reid. Mu am. 2911211.. p. 353. 35 Percentage of lumilies Reporting £3: n S eci ' Income Level Reading of Canned Other Coffee Butter Grocery Store Goods Goods & Fresh Advertisement Produce Upper AZ 52 37 10 6 Upper Middle 58 57 #4 17 7 wer Middle 62 55 “7 23 11 or 6h 56 52 30 16 Two experienced advertisers have expressed a doubt as to the value of advertising as a means of education. C.C. Hopkins said: ”I have never known.a.line where individual advertisers could profitably change habits. New habits are created by general education. They are created largely by writers who occupy free space...The advertiser comes in.when...habits are changed.”30 And, 3.3. Borden said: I"The demand for products rests in the wants and desires of people as developed by the complex of social forces: and when the forces are favorable they may bring a great OIPansion of demand for a product withogi any effort on the part of producers to shape consumer attitudes.I There are factors which sometimes make advertising harmful to the consumer. Many times there is so large an amount of advertising that the mere volume confuses the consumer. Advertising may be used for harmful as well as worthwhile products. The fact that a.product ”M” p. ”510 31mm. 36 new appears in an advertisement does not necessarily denote quality. advertisements do not give either quality or value information about products, instead, advertisements frequently appeal to the consumers' motives of fear, prejudice. emotion and sex. Advertisements based on these motives may seem‘wasteful and extravagant to the enlightened consumer who feel that advertisements should convey practical informa- tion. Increased information in advertising would constitute an effic- ient method of getting product knowledge to the consumer. Advertising is characterised not only by the pressure to buy which it exerts on consumers but by the scarcity of informer tion provided regarding goods advertised... The desire of many sellers to conceal information about their goods on the basis of ficticious values rather than intrinsic worth lead advertisers away from fggts and toward trade puffing, irrelevant and meaning- less terms. Uhscrupulous advertisers and propagandists have made false state- ments about magic health values of certain foods and mysterious dangers of specific food combinations. On the other hand. some advertisers are able to point with pride to their advertisements and their product based on sound nutrition standards. Educators contend that advertising by an industry which emphasises nutrition information. quality characteristics. and the uses of a.pro— duct can contribute to consumer education. Advertising may. and some- times does, contribute important information to consumers. But most advertising’is felt to have one or more defects as an educational medium. BZJoV. 00188, Me. Do #27. 37 Some persons insist that information usually given in advertising is too limited for its educational merits to rate high. important facts often being withheld and.unimportant ones being stressed. or that the play on the emotions. characteristic of much advertising, should not be dignified with the name of education. and that the exaggerations and misrepresentations that so frequently occur cancel out any benefits consumers might re- There is a wide- ceivo from any accurate information provided. spread feeling that the.same effort expended in education by agencies having consumer confidence would bring immeasurably greater social returns. People criticising advertising are also likoly to condemn it as a nuisance, especially that food adver- tising which makes bedtime for children bedlam. Critics point to the higher prices consumers on.many occasions pay for national brands in contrast with those receiving little or no advertising. This, they hold, is evidence that brand advertising, in place of ' helping people to buy wisely. is aimed at creating artificial distinctions. inducing people to pay a high price for factitious quality. established in the minds of consumers by frequently re- peated claims.33 If basic trends of demand for food products are determined pri- marily'by social. economic, and environmental conditions, advertising could increase demand and retard adverse demand trends. Consumers have been "...conditioned into a fear of social disapproval if he fails to use the correct toothpaste, the correct antiseptic. or the correct breakfast food. will the new consumer education provide the means by which significant life values may be distinguished and meritorious products chosen?“ 1mm: Some phases of consumer education may be more concerned with the immediate and particular; others more with the general and long term. 33uaa's Reid. 92. 0.3!... po “’9' JJ. Handenhall and H. Earap. M" p. 2. 38 Consumer education which includes The two phases may be combined. general economics tends to become lifeless theory and education which is concerned with immediate personal matters soon becomes monotonous and flat. Facts are a great help in recognizing values, but the real test of skill comes when the decision to buy is made. Some consumers read all labels on products before buying in order to how who made the product, what material it is made of, how it is made, and how to care Consumer education, as connotated in this . for and use the product. thesis, is the relation of all informationto the use in consumer plans to malts use of products. This phase of consumer education con- earns the teaching of evaluation in product selection. Consumer education may be either general or vocational, according to its purpose. Regarded as the training of the woman who .buys for her household and thereby directs its consumption. ‘ consumer education is definitely of the vocational type, and oddly enough, it is education for a productive activity that in— Similarly, all training in buymanship for more creases utility, efficient purchasing as such, and much of consumer training so far has been largely this, is training for a practical activ- ity, productive in its economic character, since it is a necessary condition to the consumption process. But consumer education that gives orientation to the in- dividual consumer in his own choice and use of commodities,. by equipping him with a conscious scale of valuations and a practical philosophy of life, may better be thought of as general education. Like their general education, it is concerned with an aspect of personality, in this case the individual as chooser, user, and enjoyer of goods and services. 35:333. Hendenhall and H. Harap, M” p. 14. 39 - The problem of product selection facing the consumer has many cross-factors. Economic and social problems enter the considerations of prices, quality, brands, grades, labels, nutrition, habits, adver- tising and standardisation. These are problems facing educators as well as consumers. This problem has been outlined in this chapter on product selection. The following chapter will outline the problem of market selection and subsequent chapters will present the roles of various groups attempting to aid the consumer in the solution of problems. C T1317 TEE OON§Q_H_;I_R EWCATIQH PROQES P '1‘ II: PRODUCT SE CTION WITHIN SUPERM ’1‘ Lasagna “A super market is a highly departmentalised retail establishp moat, dealing in foods and other merchandise, either wholly owned or concession operated, with adequate parking space, doing a minimum of $hO0,000 annually. The grocery department...must be on a self service basis.'1 The purpose of this chapter is to investigate information that could be made available to help the consumer decide what to buy, how to buy and how much to buy in super markets. Many consumers require improved information of where and.when to buy, quality selection and evaluation of advertising claims in order to save dollars in food budgets. Food producers sell to distributors who in turn sell to consum- ers. If consumers, producers and distributors are therefore dependent upon.each.other, solution of food marketing problems will be achieved after the.interests of all parties have been considered by each party. In fact, in July, 1937, the super market industry dedicated itself to a cooperative practice in establishing a goal “...to promote, develop a and maintain a cooperative effort for the solution of present and U ’— #H,H, Zimmerman, 122 Super flagggt, (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1955). p. 13. #1 future problems confronting owners and operators of Super Harkets... (and)...to promote and maintain better relations and fair dealings hetween.owners and operators of Superzlarkets and ...manufacturers and distributorszof food products, provisions and accessories and the pub— lic itself.“ Ihe consumer public has shown an interest in cooking and nutri- tion but little attention has been given, until recently. to the prob; lens of food selection and buying. lethods of selling have changed with the advent of the super market. 'The consumer, shopping in a super market. is required to make selection decisions without help other than advertising and display while previously clerks made suggestions and the variety of items was limited. The super market affords very little personal selling. The many food products sold in super markets are processed in huge quantities with mass production efficiencies. Many of these products compete with each other for consumer preference. If consumers were informed as to the correct methods of using a super market, each consumer might prefer the market designed for correct shopping methods and retailers may be come aware of merchandising oppor- tunities made possible through consumer-centered store design. In this way, the education of consumers in correct shopping methods could cre- ate increased competition between retailers to supply better shopping facilities. In other words. the layout of a super market sales area may assist the consumer in selecting the greater varieties of products with decreasing clerical assistance. __ 2 Ibid.. p. 76. #2 W Parallel rows of gondolas, which is one of the most common lay- out patterns in the super markets today. allows the customer to tour an entire super market in an '8' curve fashion and if the tour is com- pleted, each consumer is subjected to a view of all products. A fan shaped or free-flow layout of gondolas may be shaped sim- ilar to the outspread ribs of a fan. Gustomers entering a fan design store '...hare a choice of any number of aisles to reach back of store: in this way, customers ayoid bunching up in any one aisle; then tend to take alternate routes, thus being exposed to wide variety of displays."3 ‘Oomplete departmentalisation. low gondolas. fan-shaped aisles all contribzte to making shopping easier and more pleasant for store‘s customers.“ . Store layout designed to make shopping tours simple, fast and complete is a goal of super market operators. An objective of store layout is to accomplish complete customer circulation of the entire store thereby exposing the consumer to as many items as possible. Merchandise should be displayed in a logical sequence consistent with the consumer thinking habits and.methods of meal planning. The store should be a pleasant place to shop. 1hr example. produce departments ' usually hare wide aisles to facilitate smooth flow of traffic, and, at the same time allows customers to shop in a leisurely manner. 36.3. nine. BMW. New York: Tao Butterick 00., Inc., 1956). p. 2“. u. Ibld. “3 By integrating displays and aisle arrangements and grouping products such as picnic supplies, snacks, baking supplies, nationality foods, party supplies, etc., the consumer is aided in menu planning through product suggestion. What t9 Egg People usually buy to achieve the satisfaction of wants. These satisfactions are determined by individual consumer values placed upon: product distinctiveness, emulation of other purchasers, healthfulness and wholesoneness of the product. satisfaction of the appetite, pleas- ing the sense of taste, securing personal comfort and alleviation of laborious tasks through the use of pro-prepared foods, and the oppor- tunity of gaining greater leisure time for recreation and entertain- ment with ease of product preparation.5 who products selected should _ yield the greatest satisfactions and are determined after investigating the food requirements of the customer, the economic ability of the con- sumer to buy and the investigation of the availability of the products desired. Basically, however, consumers do not shop in a logical manner, they are sold food items by the retailer and manufacturer. Among super markets of the same class. price comparisons on.the quality of any item may not prove one market to be lower priced than the other market. Super markets sell a wide variety of articles and are likely to be higher priced on some articlos and lower on others. 5mm mom Copeland. WW. (011163608 AJ. Show 60.. 1927),.p. 163. Thus one store may be low priced on staple groceries and.high priced on fresh fruits and vegetables.-or low priced on flour and sugar and "h‘. high priced on canned goods. Consumers do not generally shop around for each of these classes of goods but choose a store for the general level of its prices. How to Buy . . the consumer in planning a food shopping trip decides on the meals for a specified period and then lists the-supplies for the menus selecs Also. staples and supplies on hand are checked and requirements ted. Perishables may be listed subject to change if offerings are listed. at the market make changes desirable or necessary. Eben g9 33; Plentiful and locally produced products may be low in cost and offer the consumer quality and value affording a balanced food budget Advertised and weekly market specials are examples of economical. season- al purchases. Another possibility in saving lies in purchasing articles The prices of many products vary during the at the proper time. year, and purchases of these products need to be considered.care- fully. food is an important group in this class. fresh fruits and vegetables. for example. are highly seasonal in.nature. and there are limited periods in which each constitutes a proper purb . chase in the lower income groups. There is. likewise, a limited period in which they are sufficiently high in quality and low in price to be particularly'suited for canning and preserving. flhese periods show some variation among years, but, in general, come at . approximately the same time. ,A valuable aid in proper seasonal purchasing may be obtained through the construction of a seasonal calendar which gives the . Such a time when foodstuffs are in season in the local market calendar would give a list of the products arranged in order, with the length of the season indicated and the period.when it is at its height.6 45 W The consumer evaluates purchases on the size. demands. and per- sonal tastes of the people being fed, and the economic possibilities within her income. The super market operator often appeals to consum- ers with prices. multiple unit values. trading stamps and premiums in order to induce consumers to buy large quantities. The consumer may learn to be a good buyer through personal ex- More perience in the use of various products. inspection and testing. efficient market selection could result ”...if there‘were an elimina- tion of all misrepresentation. an increase in information provided (both in advertising, and labels). simplification of size of containers and sale by standard weight and measures. providing information (on posters in stores) on relative food values at prevailing prices. The extensive literature advising consumers on food buying would aid con- - 7 sumers more if selling practices were improved.” issues: This chapter has dealt with the factors involved in selecting products at the point of purchase in the super market. The factors included what, how. when. and how much to buy. In the folloVing __ 6&0. Waite and a. Gassady. Jr.. a n r 22.42:. (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. Inc.. 1939). p. 300. 711d}. Reid, W, ' (New York: John Wiley and Sons. Inc.. 1943). p. l5. chapters these factors will be considered by the groups which have undertaken the education of the consumer. The methods by which each group relates solutions of the factors to the means of education will also be discussed. “It is impossible for all of us to be expert in.many fields. It is equally impossible for most of us to remember the many detailed technical points necessary to become expert in buying all of the differ- ent commodities we need. The important-shing is to know the basic fac- tors about the things we buy regularly.“ Chapters III and IV’have dealt with the basic factors of selec- tion and the following chapters will illustrate consumer education methods used by retailers. manufacturers. trade and professional organ- izations. government, extension services. and the various advertising media. 8W. (Household 3' 1“” °°rP-' ”ML 1:. l8. omm v' "” 311 some or was mam g1; m m’ cm lawns A Several groups here the opportunity to educate the consumer and these groups have established consumer education programs. Because various organisations within each group offer similar educational pro— grams, representative samples from each group have been selected for The retailer is most often in direct contact with the presentation. consumer. therefore it is the retailer group which will first be in- vestigated as to the extent of consumer education programs made avail- able. "A.number of store events of an informative and entertaining nature are employed to generate good will and stimulate customer traffic. In this category are lectures, demonstrations. so-called ”schools”, Common examples are courses and lec- motion pictures...and exhibits. 1 tures on food preparation and table setting." The complexity of the present situation as described in chapters III and IV requires both intelligence and education to provide for wise buying of the family's food. "The principal objective of many educational promotions is. of course. the creation of good will and store traffic in general. rather Nevertheless. than the stimulation of immediate sales on featured goods. the retailer has much to gain by'making arrangements to take advantage _gf such opportunities."2 P’ d Pr *PML. Brown and W;R. Davidson. (flew York: The Ronald Press 00.. 1953). P- ”73- #8 W ‘The Grand Union Company advertising department integrated a. nutrition theme into its-Fandnprice copy of combining a balanced diet idea with a balanced budget idea. Ibr example, advertising headlines in newspapers and broadsides read: “Good.fiealth is Priceless - for a Balanced Diet and a Balanced Budget Shop Grand Union." Good nutrition.promotion by Grand.Union was rated ”highly .successful.“ Material developed by the 0:8. Department of Agri- culture nutrition authorities was organized by the N110 staff for Bewspaper adver- the promotion at the request of the company. tising and store promotion were coordinated through the use of a Several. thousand large “Basic Seven” charts in store display. hundred thousand leaflets carrying the imprint, ”Reprinted and Also. Distributed by Grand Union“ were taken by store customers. many women’s clubs and cfiher organised groups obtained copies for distribution to members. The Grand Union Company nutrition education experiment indicated the possibility of inserting nutrition infonnation in regular adver- tising copy. new ideas on food items may be presented to the censumer in this manner. Wm Be- The Kroger Company operates a Consumer Information Service. cause of the decentralised organisation of the company. the consumer Program varies widely in its execution from one division to another. 21214. . p. #7». 3r,s,r,c, Bulletin. March 2. 195?. l"Ibid. “9 A very important part of the consumer program is store tours that are made available to teachers. womens' clubs. and other groups interested Inch tour includes in learning.about the operation of a super market. demonstrations and informative food data tailored to the needs of the individual group. The kroger store tours include lecture discussion and demonstrations on the following subjects: Meats: types, method of purchase, cleanliness. Federal 1. Grades, recognition of cuts of beef, Tenderay Beef, meat qualities. pro-packaged and self-service meats. 2. Pbultny. ‘ 3. Seafoods. 4. ‘lggs: grades and sizes. 5. Cheese: varieties. Canned and Packaged Foods: use. variety in can sises. the label, quality and style for 7. Frozen Foods. fresh Fruits and vegetables: signs of freshness, perishabil- ity, method of pricing, comparative sizes. 9. Bakery Goods. ”This service was started in response to requests from teachers and adult leaders for practical field trips to aid studies in marketing It was developed by the Home Economics Division of and food selection. theilroger Ibod Fbundation, working with home economics leaders in several states.”6 5W. The Kroger company. 50 A Consumer Information Service set up by The Kroger Company for more effective cooperation with women's clubs and home economics classes in schools and colleges, provides store tours, demonstrations, and booklets on the care of foods. The Consumer Information Service also offers information on the work of test kitchens, and the methods by which The Kroger Company food products are handled and.packeged. Organisations are encouraged to contact local managers and arrange store tours or specific demonstrations... In a recent fourteen week period, more than 500 groups asked A half-million beef charts. for store visits or demonstrations. distributed together with punched for students' note booke, were many copies of educational literature.7 Another phase of the Consumer Information Service is the distri- bution of various films pertinent to the food industry. films are used .to a large extent in educating the teenage consumer and in addition I printed.material is used for the young consumer group. An important feature of the Kroger Company's public relations program is its youth consumer information program. This program was established in response to requests from teachers of home ecenendcs in high schools and leaders of homemakers clubs, h—H Clubs, and Future Homemakers of America for information for girls about the supply, price, grades, qualities. and varieties of foods as well as new foods and advice on buying for economy and good nutri- tion... , . - The Kroger consumer information program includes a quarterly publication for girls; field trips in connectionrwith studies in bfigugzing lhgdgf, The Kroger Company. 7"icts for Customers.‘.2Efilfl.§12££_£££a XXX (February, 195“). P. 1780 51 food marketing and selection; and support of Junior livestock shows and sales, college scholarships and educational materials such as charts and booklets... In addition to its youth consumer relations activity... the Kroger Company serves adult consumers through the preparation and distribution of cookbooks, recipes, and advice on cooking problems. A weekly column of timely food hints and recipes goes to newspapers through the Kroger territory upon request without cost to the paper. A home economics division operates test kitchens and develops re- cipes and advises consumers. In the states served by The Kroger Company, educational and group leaders and county agents are provided news releases and leaflets about their Consumer Information Service. The information is prepared by the Kroger agricultural counsel, home economists and executives at branch offices. In addition to tours, films, teenage consumer programs, and county agent cooperation, The Kroger Company offers several booklets through the facilities of the Consumer Information Service. "All About Cookin" is a booklet“written especially for the l. beginner, new housewife or homemaker.‘ The booklet presents information about grocery lists, hints on buying, and easy- to-use recipes. 2. “It's Simply Super" offers recipes, menus, and charts of fruits and vegetables in season in a leaflet for those persons working with teenagers. 3r ~"Butch Lunch for the Crowd" helps the customer plan inter- esting buffets for groups of twenty-five or more people. Several hot dish recipes are included. 83ertrand a. Ganfield, 231311.: Belgtigng, (Illinois: Richard D. Irvin. Inc.. 1956). p. 133. 52 h. ”Wedding Food“ has been prepared for those who plan to serve wedding refreshments at home. The recipes for dainty, tradi- tional wedding food do not require special skills or equip- ment. . 5. “Heat Cutting Charts" show wholesale and retail cuts for beef and pork and the basic cooking methods for each cut. This chart is available for students as well as housewives in notebook size. 6. ”Basic Meat Cooking Methods“ is prepared on recipe cards to fit 3 x 5 file boxes. These cards include cooking direc- 'tions and time and temperature charts for broiling. brais- ing, and roasting beef, pork, and cured ham. The Kroger Company Consumer Information Service includes tours, demonstrations, films, publications and special efforts on behalf of teenage consumers. If the retailer increases the breadth of coverage of a consumer education program. detailed clerical work and increased requirements - for clerical personnel may result. The size and sales of each retailer may be a determining factor in the size of the consumer program. I c. rat The Home lbonomics director of the Colonial Stores, Incorporated super market chain has been given the ficticious name of Fancy Carter. Nancy Carter functions in a staff relationship to top Colonial Stores management. Nancy Carter presents the ideas, needs and wants of the 53 consumer, as interpreted from consumer requests. to top executives of the Colonial Stores. Incorporated organization. Also. Nancy Carter ine terprets to women through consumer programs, the policies and products of Colonial Stores. Incorporated: Consumers are invited to write to Nancy Garter for information on food. nutrition. and buying. Other super market chains offer similar services through home economics de- partments. Colonial Stores, Incorporated operates a complete test kitchen under the direction of a home economist~in which both private brand and manufacturer's brand products are tested. Also. recipes are developed which are used in Colonial Stores, Incorporated advertising. on labels. and in Colonial Stores, Incorporated recipe books. In addition to consumer-management liason and test kitchen.work, -the home economics department has done extensive work on the improve- ment of the design of labels on Colonial Stores. Incorporated products. lach Colonial Stores, Incorporated label carries the address of the Nancy Carter kitchens to which consumers may write for free, authoritae tive information regarding food problems. These labels include cooke ins directions and/or recipes. Colonial Stores. Incorporated sell two grades of beef, economy or budget and Natur-tender Beef. Natur-tender Beef is government graded United States Choice or better and Budget Beef is government graded United States Commercial. Both grades of beef offer equal nutritional value but each grade is preferably cooked by different methods for greatest platability, for which directions are printed on package labels. 76' feed retailers offer cooking directions en.fresh.meat. 5C 9 Each month the Nancy Carter staff prepares free recipe folders with best buys. seasonal food hints. and latest food research news. The Nancy Carter staff also distributes a ;§;ef Handbook" which explains the two grades of beef sold in Colonial Stores, Incorporated and the method of cooking. - Another project of the Nancy Carter department is writing in- stitutional copy for newspaper ads. Colonial Stores, Incorporated ads incorporate tested recipes with photographs and suggestions for seasonal best buys. Twice monthly the Nancy Garter staff sends a syndicated editorial column to approximately 200 daily and weekly newspapers. Since most of these papers do not have food editors, current and up-to-date food information and recipes offer the Nancy Carter services to readers. Another project of the Nancy Carter department is the Young Consumer Education Program. Teenagers are getting guided tours in Colonial's stores in Birmingham and Atlanta as part of a combined consumer educatione public relations program. Colonial has Joined with I'Sev'enteen- flagasine' and six other chains to help ”Teen Cooks” learn more about foods and food esonomics. , After the youngsters have boned up on the basic foods in their home economics classes, C. S. managers take them through the stores. The men.talk about such things as multiple buying, the effect of grades on prices, produce trimming and preparation and the identification of meat cuts. Colonial, taking the lowaterm view, feels that its partic- ipation in the program will further its standing in the community. Of course it expects that many of the teenagers, who will soon be establishing families of their own, will become its customers -- and educated ones, at that.9 55 The Nancy Carter staff has been working with boards of education, home economics supervisors and teachers on a consumer education program geared to teenagers. Teachers are given information on the techniques to be used in conducting the tour by trained tour guides. Students are conducted on tours through stores and warehouses and are given posters and recipe material created for the program. The Nancy Carter staff, buyers. merchandisers and store managers. speak on food distribution, company operation and services to consumer groups. women's clubs, parents clubs and professional groups, radio and television audiences. The Colonial Stores, Incorporated program of consumer education' is a continuing program including test kitchen.work, management-consu- mer liason. publication distribution, tours, and public speaking while another program such as the one offered by PickrflePay Supermarkets in Cleveland is a limited duration education program. PigE-HLPay Supgzmgrkets, Ingggpgggted, The cooking schools sponsored by PickefirPay Supermarkets, In- corporated were received with enthusiasm by customers. “It is no secret ‘that homemakers are always looking for new menu ideas. And PickrB-Pay Supermarkets has discovered that increased sales and strengthened good 9Vee§lz Diggst-Iggd Digtribgtign, LVII (December 15, 1956), p. 10. loll-otter from Agnes Olmstead, Director of Home Economics, Colonial Stores, Incorporated,.htlanta, Georgia, April 11. 1957. 56 will reward the chain that helps its customers solve their day—in and . ll ‘ day—out cooking routine.I Pick-leay Supermarkets, Incorporated offered free cooking school classes at convenient locations to meet a consumer demand for informa- tion on methods of food preparation. [Pick-HLPay Supermarkets, Incorp- orated customers were taught how to shop, how to get more out of their food budget, and how to buy food products and were given recipes for the dishes prepared at the cooking sessions. Pick-NLPay Supermarkets, Incorporated personnel acted as spon- sor and host for the cooking school promotion and the Homemaker's Ser- vice of New York organised the technical programs. “They (The Homemaker's Service) made preliminary arrangements for the various auditoriums in which the schools were held, worked out schedules for sessions, furnisheduinstructors, arranged for grand.prise give-aways. and made initial contacts with the cooperating food.manu- facturing firms to have their products featured during the cooking l 12 demonstrations.“ The communication program fer the cooking school conducted by PickaJLPay Supermarkets, Incorporated include: Full page ads in citybwide papers. 1. 2, Smaller ads in communitprapers. 3. Spot commercials on the food chain's regular radio programs. § 1 . 1W. New York. October 15. 1956. p. 5. 12mm. 57 h. IBag Stuffers." 5, Window Banners. 6. Tie-in posters. The value of cooking schools to super market operators is not intrinsic in that the classes by themselves do not increase sales. However, through advertising and tie-in sales, additional sales may be developed as is indicated by the management of PickelLPay Supermarkets. Incorporated: Youngsters and women shoppers can both return to school to- gether with the women attending any of PickpxePay's eight free Cooking Schools. The objective of this school promotion is to get cooking school audiences to shop repeatedly in all our stores. to become aware of the many values offered and to obtain new (and steady) PickeflePay customers.13 Customer acceptance of cooking school programs is indicated by - - 1h attendance of 8,000 persons at Pick-NLPay Supermarkets Cooking Schools. and at similar programs sponsored by Winn and Lovett Company of 2h,ll9 15 per‘onse §tore Demongtgatiggg Tours. cooking classes. and inpstore promotions use the demon, stration-lecture as the visualhmeans of presentation of consumer infor- mation. In—store demonstrations are usually confined to a single product. 13Lnter—figgrg Lettg ,lpickeHLPay Supermarkets, September 5. 1956. laggmrmgrket Newg. Emilio. P- 5- k t H lthOoking School Vine Permanent Customers.” m. XVII (Hay, 1952). p. 220. 58 ”The lecture-demonstration is a means of presenting material, visually and audibly, to a select group of people. The average person is much more impressed by seeing than by hearing, but if the two are interest— ingly combined. the presentation makes a much more lasting impression. and creates a desire. The creating of a desire resulting in action 16 along some line is the ultimate goal of any lecture-demonstration.“ The purpose of the lecture—demonstration is either promotional or educational and frequently is a combination of both. "The final success of the lecture-demonstration is measured by the results which it brings about in the attitudes of the people who hear and see it... 17 To attain this goal, the purpose of the demonstration must be clearly defined in the mind of the lecturer at all times." Successful inestore demonstrations may be conducted by manufac- turers' representatives. public service units, college extension ser- vice food technologists, or chain store home economists. There are seven prerequisites for a successful food demonstration. l. A thorough knowledge of the material to be presented. A realization of the importance of having the best 2. possible equipment for the job to be done, with each piece in its proper place. 3. A definite and accurate plan for equipment. program, and time. Preliminary preparation carried out to such a degree 4. that the lecturer's mind is free for the demonstration presenta— tion. 16 ' n.3, Algood. Demonstration Technigueg, (New Jersey: Prentice- .Hall, Inc., 1956). p. 1. l7lbid. 59 A clear cut picture of the material and how it is to be 18 5. presented. 60 7. A planned display of finished products. A presentation of the demonstration as planned. To adequately merchandise a product the lecturer-demonstrator must be familiar with the product, its source, method of manufacture, method of storage, method of cooking, suggested recipes, and cost. The lecturer-demonstrator must be well groomed and the equipment should radiate efficiency in order to secure the confidence of the consumer. The lecturer-demonstrator must adjust production and equipment to suit the demands of the demonstration and the occasion. False sales talks will usually not result in repeat business and can cause the customer to lose faith in the retailer. Therefore, products must be truthfully presented to the customers. Several brands of a single item are sold in one super market, thersfare the lecturer-demonstrator should not malign one brand in competition. In other words, the purpose of the demonstration is to offer one product and explain its characteristics and qualities. The lecturer—demonstrator explains important sales characteristics of the product as is exemplified in the following list of sales points for lard: l. Lard has the most shortening power of any cooking fat, and it takes only three fourths as much lard as other shortening to make quick breads of the same tenderness. 2. Lard.makes the most flaky biscuits -— and flakiness is another characteristic of'good biscuits, shortcake, and other sim- ilar products. 18 1.13.4.4” P- 15. 6O 3 Lard gives to biscuits and other quick breads a very delicious flavor. Lard is the most easily handled of any of the fats, it 1+. has the widest plasticity range. Lard is a fat of unusually high nutrétive value, a point 5. to be considered in the selection of any food.1 Recipes Almost all super markets distribute recipes furnished by process- ors as part of a consumer education program and capitalize on the in- Many super market organizations terest in recipes held by consumers. develop recipes in company established kitchens. One chain that is strong for recipes is Food Basket of San Company officials believe their constant recipe-promotion Diego. - activity has contributed strongly to their success. Food Basket has its own home economist, Mary Morgan, who These are News- constantly prepares recipes for seasonable occasions. printed on cards and distributed from racks in the stores. paper advertising and store distribution of recipes is tied closely together. If salad ingredients are being advertised, salad recipes If a certain cut of beef is featured . A are on hand in the stores. in the ad the stores have recipes showing how to prepare it library of recipe books is kept at each store for customers. Mary Morgan and her assistant have helped develop confidence in the company‘s recipe service by making personal appearances in They hold forth in the stores according to posted the stores. schedules, and are available to answer questions on a personal basis.2° Fbod chains distribute recipes by the use of recipe boards in super.markets, at checkbout stands, and also print recipes as part of newspaper advertisements. lglbid" p. 67. 2°"rood Sales Start with a Recipe." ___Cha_;n §tgre Age. xxx: (Janu— ary. 1955). p. 69. 61 "One of the pioneers of recipe promotion on the west coast was Lucky Stores of San Leandro, California. A number of years ago this company designed a standard recipe board... and has been using it con- sistently ever since. Lucky feels that its recipe boards constitute 21 an important service to the consumer." "Cummings Food Giant Markets make frequent use of recipes in newspaper advertising. esuecially in connection with meat items."22 is an example of a company publishing recipes in newspapers. Distribution of recipes represents a service for consumers and is used as a part of public relations program of almost all super 23 markets. Summ f Ret ler Congumerggducatign While the retailer is in business to sell products and not to educate the consumer, good will and promotional merchandising schemes often formulate consumer education programs. The retailer's role in consumer education covers a broad area and may include any or all of the following projects: 1. Diet and nutrition education through newspaper advertising and in-store promotion. 2. Store tours. 3. Films prepared by chain stores and distributed to teachers, Parents, and students. h ZlIbid., p, 68. 221bid., p. 105. 23 Ibid., p. 68. 62 h. Booklets. brochures. leaflets on buying, storing, and recipes distributed to consumers. 5. Information about retail best-buys supplied to agricultural county agents for rural distribution. 6. Test kitchens maintained by chain stores to test recipes and maintain private brand standards. 7. Information on package labels improved for consumer benefits. 8. Syndicated food editorials for newspapers provided by food chain home economists. 9. Institutional-type advertisements containing recipes and menu ideas prepared for newspapers. 10. Teenage consumer education programs combining all methods emphasizing problems facing the young consumer established for students. 11. Ihyers, merchandisers, home economists, and store managers speak before interested groups on buying and food subjects. 12. Radio and television appearances by buyers, merchandisers. home economists and company officials scheduled to cover local areas. 13. Cooking schools. 1”. Demonstrations. Since few communities are exactly alike, the individual food re- tailer with direct contact and aware of the needs and interests of coup sumers is in a position to make the decision as to the scope of a con— sumer education program. The manufacturer uses similar methods of education and communication in programs designed for consumers. 63 'The Manufacturer "Business promotes its own progress and stability by equipping consumers with information which will make them wiser managers and 2h ' better buyers.“ The purpose of this section of this chapter is to illustrate the above hypothesis upon which the role of the manufacturer in consumer educatibn is based. The manufacturer explains the uses and varieties of his product through advertising which accomplishes both increased sales and increased consumer knowledge of the general product. The Campbell §oup Company The Campbell Soup Company clearly states the interaction of ads vertising and product usage in their policy statement. Marketing activities were again expanded. Advertising media included magazines. newspapers. television and radio. car cards. trade publications, and point of sale display material. The Home Economics Department continued to play an important part in the marketing pregram by presenting to food editors and to thespublic generally many new ways of serving the Company's product.2 .figiit and Compggy Many companies prepare educational material on the generic pro- duct produced by that company and not specifically designed for their own brand. An example of this is the booklet "Cuts of Meat -— How You )s I’ 2&3. Blackburn, B. Dodge, and S. Shires, "What 12 Years of Consup mer Education Activity Have Taught About the Consumer Movement,” Prin— '.§_e_z;g_1__I_g_k, can (February 4, 19%). p. 19. 25 a1 Re rt f the Ca bell S u can f r th F1 081 Y A216! P0 90 6“ Can Identify Them“ distributed by the Agricultural Research Department of Swift and Company. This booklet has excellent photographs of retail cuts of meat for identification and charted placement on the wholesale carcass. . lssssrdnnLiksidsssihnnasz Mrs. Schwer of Beech-Nut Packing Company reports that consumer education carried on with super market consumers by Beech-Nut Packing Company Baby Food Division is very limited. Deech-Rut Packing Company distributes illustrated shelf strips which are used to bring new pro- ducts to the attention of customers. The maJority of Beech-Nut Packing Company consumer education.work is carried on by means of periodic mailings of baby feeding instructions to new mothers. Another phase of Beech-Hut Packing Company consumer education program is lectures to interested groups,such as expectant mothers on feeding and infant nu- trition. The Gerber Compggz The Gerber Company Department of Professional Services prepares and distributes information on feeding principles and child care to doctors. clinics. hospitals. teachers, and home economics extension workers who. in turn, present this information to mothers who are pur- Chasers of baby foods. Direct-mail literature and samples of food products are distributed to pediatricians. general practitioners. and approximately two thirds of the country's new mothers. Periodic 261Letter from Marcia B. Schwer, Beech Nut Packing Company. New YOPk January 23. 1957. 65 mailings of free publications sent to new mothers are based on current birth records with progressive yearly information on infant, junior and senior baby foods. The following publications are examples of the material available for consumers from The Gerber Company. 1. "Nutrition Fblder" listing all ingredients used in The Ger— ber Company products and the exact nutritive values of individual por- tions is offered. 2. I'Recipes for Toddlers" is a 30 page booklet with recipes using baby foods. 3. "Recipes for Special Diets" is offered by The Gerber Company for adults on diets prescribed by physicians. b. "How Does Your Baby Grow?“ is a booklet for the expectant mother presenting scientific information on fertilization and an ex- planation of the birth process. 5. "Changing Styles in Baby Care and Hints for Baby Sitters" explains the modern approach to infant feeding. 6. The "Teachers' Infant Nutrition Manual" offered by The Ger— ber Company helps teach: a. A knowledge of the basic principles of infant nutrition. b. Application of these principles to the feeding of inp fants. c. Reasons for the inclusion of the "supplementary” foods. d. Now new foods may be introduced into the infant‘s diet. e. The effect of demand and mass production on the price of processed foods. 66 Nutritive value of food used. The care of canned foods and of cereals in the home A knowledge of scientific control employed in the commercial production of foods. 7. "Infant Nutrition" is a students' leaflet used in conjunction with the Teachers‘ Manual is offered by The Gerber Company and covers the following information: a. b. 0. Discussion of principles of feeding infants. including foods used for infants and infant food requirements. Scientificcontrol in a food factory. Eating habits. 8. "Foods for Baby and Mealtime Psychology" is a booklet con- taing the following information: a. 8. Types, tastes, textures, and temperatures of preferred baby foods. Reasons for feeding schedules and poor appetite. Foods for a one year old and the introduction of solid foods. Bow to introduce new flavors. textures, meats, vege- tables and fruits into a child‘s diet. Seasonings used for children's food. How to buy, store and serve baby foods. Ingredients used in all Gerber Company baby foods. 9. “Baby's Book” offered by The Gerber Company is a booklet pre- senting information.to parents including: 67 a. Advice to fathers and grandmothers. b. Clothing, nurseries, the bath, weighing the baby, toilet training, protection from disease, traveling with the baby, and first aid measures. 0. Average development, feeding the baby, and products available for the baby. The Gerber Company offers a sound film, "Meal Time for John Henry." explaining how a child grows during the first year of infanqy and emphasizes feeding. The free film is suitable for college or high school students, Parents Teachers Associations, women's clubs, clinical and public health facilities maintaining pre-natal and post-natal classes and family relations classes maintained by churches and other institutions. PubliCations and film distribution are a major part of the con— sumer education process developed by The Gerber Company. The advertis— ing program is used to advertise the company's products, to increase the generic demand for the product and to present additional consumer information. The following list illustrates the role of advertising in The Gerber Company consumer education program. 1. Feeding ideas are traced from the first day's feeding through the second year of infancy in the illustrated advertisement called "A Happy Family Affair." 2. Hints about baby foods and the selection of baby shoes appeared in Parent's Magazine, Good Housekee in , True Confession;, and Endern Romancgg in February, 1956. 68 3. Information on recipes, nutritive values of foods, and buy- ing information on toys and shoes appeared in Baby Time. Modern Bang, nggglg_§gpy, American Baby. Baby Post. Baby Talk, and My Baby in April, 1956. 4. New baby food products were introduced indicating in a gen- eral nature, the nutritive values present in each product and free mail- ings of the ngchers' Manug; and the Students' Leaflet_as described in the paragraphs above were offered in Forecast for Home Economistg, {233591 of Home Ecgnomics. What's New In Home Economics, and Practical Home Economics in October, 1956. In addition to medical contacts, teacher education, publications, film distribution, direct mail. and advertisements, The Gerber Company offers guided plant tours to tell the story of their products and a booklet with descriptions of the raw material, preparation, cooking, packing, quality control, research, and distribution of the baby food products to complete the tour program. Th9 29w Chemical Compagy The Dow Chemical Company produces Dowicide A, a citrus preservap tive. The consumer education policy of the Dow Chemical Company is as follows: In the past, the policy of the Dowicide Department has not been to educate the ultimate consumer. The main reason for this being the terrific cost of such a program. However, we are works ing with our Public Relations Department, and in the near future we plan to Sgt out some news releases in various magazines to housewives. F 27Letter from Eugene E. Wiese, The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan, Januany 2. 1957- 69 0 id m In contrast to the Dow Chemical Company, The American Cyanamid Company has made definite plans and is actively participating in con- sumer education as described below: The American Cyanamid Acronization process involves a new concept in the processing of freshly killed poultry. We are faced with a tremendous consumer education problem. As you well know, the American people are slow to accept change, especially when it concerns a stable item such as poultry. The American Cyanamid Company Publicity and Public Relations Agency stimulates the writing of such articles as the newspaper editor- ial in the September 8, 1956 Atlanta Congtitutign.which tells the his- tory, nature, process, and suggests the benefits arising from the use of acronization to producer, retailer, and consumer. A Good Housekeeping magazine editorial of October, 1956 explained the need for acronization. The editorial was written in answer to con- sumer-reader requests for infomnation on acronization. Similar articles have been published in Family Circle magazine of May, 1957. The American Cyanamid Company used 8 pages of full color ad- vertisements in the August 27. 1956 issue 0f Elf: magazine, the Sept- ember, 1956 issues of Ladies Home Journgl and Good Hopeekeepggg mag- azines and the February, 1957 issue of Forecast of Home Economists to convey a constructive and informative message about acronize. The advertisement explained: 28Letter from R.E.Riesenberger, The American Cyanamid Company, New York, April 23, 1957- 70 Fresh poultry. Acronized poultry. How poultry is quality controlled. How to buy acronized poultry and how to store poultry. Recipes using acronized poultry. Printed publications distributed by The American Cyanamid Company include the "Facts Booklet” explaining what acronize is and what it is not, and how acronize works, how it helps the processor, distributor, retailer and consumer. Recipe leaflets are printed and distributed by The American Cyanamid Company. §ummary 9f the Role of Manufgcturers in Consumer Education Many companies, other than the ones described in this chapter are active in consumer education programs. However, methods used by all manufacturers are similar in their efforts to educate the consumer. I. 2. car cards. 3. h. 5. 6. Booklets, pamphlets, leaflets, brochures and recipes. Advertising by radio, television, magazines, newspapers, and Direct mail and answers to requests for information. Lectures, films, medical contacts. Tours. Test kitchens, food editorials, and nutrition counseling. Advertising is the basic media of both manufacturer and retail- er consumer education programs. An intangible profit may be realized but the extent of the profit is difficult to measure. “There are no advantages in such an effort that can be measured 71 in dollars and cents. We feel that we have derived a certain institu- tional value on a national scale which is akin to that received by a businessman in a small community who contributes money and effort to a local civic project,” said the representative of The Household Finance Corporation on the subject of the retailer and manufacturer contribu- 29 tions toward consumer education. 2 9Blackburn, Dodge, and Shiros, QB: Cit., p. 117. CHAPTER 71 ‘g§§_ROLE OF TEAQQZAND PRQZ§§§LQN4;:QRGAN1§§TIOE§ .laizndnsiiss ”Trade and professional associations are assuming an increasing— ly important role in public relations activities. According to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce survey of trade and professional associations. there are 3,100 national and interstate associations in 1 this country.“ To enumerate the role of all associations in educating the con- sumer would be repetitious. therefore, examples will be presented to explain the methods of education used. A trade association is usually a voluntary, nonprofit organizap tion of business competitors. A professional association is composed of individuals united primarily in a common intellectual interest in a.par- ticular field. ”Thirty-five per cent of all national associations carry 2 on consumer relations activities." Trade and professional associations prepare infonmation for mem- bers who in warn transmit information to consumers. Much of the in- formation is intended only for association members. however. consumers may request information from the associations. The associations fre- quently develop "...informative advertising campaigns to tell the 1Bertrand R. Canfield. Public Relations, (Illinois: Richard D. Irwin. Inc., 1956), p. 229. 2 Ibid. 73 public about an industry. its contributions to the public welfare, its operations. and problems." Consumer education objectives of most trade and professional organizations concerned with super markets are: to develop national cognizance of the contributions made by super markets to better the consumer, to interpret the role played by super markets in the national economy, and to establish the role each association plays in consumer education and consumer improvement. The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate methods used.by trade and professional organizations in consumer education, and to in- dicate how the organizations assist retailers and manufacturers in de- ve10ping consumer education programs. The American Dairy Association The American Dairy Association members believe that. in order to maintain and gain a share of the food market. the American Dairy Assoc- iation must remind consumers of the values of dairy products. \ To capitalize on the strong points of dairy products and to correct the weaknesses that exist in consumer thinking, there is a need to maintain an open line of communication between dairymen and the consumers. This is the job of the American Dairy Associa- tion in advertising, merchandising and public relations... The only way to make certain that confiumers know about any particular product is to tell them about it. 3Ibid. ”The Dairy Farmer Builds His Markets, American Dairy Association. P. 11. 7h The American Dairy Association members believe consumers would become influenced to buy food products such as meat, fish and poultny to a great extent resulting in a partial exclusion by the consumer in buying dairy products. Therefore, the largest share of The American Dainy.Association budget is placed in advertising in order to increase sales of daisy products as equal in nutritive protein values to meat, fish and poultry. In the dairy industry as anywhere, advertising and merchan- dising offer the soundest tools to communicate with prospective customers...Today's advertising funds are allocated to newspapers. magazines, radio, television, billboard. direct mail, demonstra- tions in stores, couponing, etc... It is estimated that in 1956 expenditures for advertising and other sales promotion reached ten billion dollars... Modern advertising is mass education about a product or service. Retailers of dairy products may either prepare original adver- tising material or may use promotional material from The American Dairy Association which includes posters, recipe leaflets, newspaper adver- tising layouts, radio and television commercials and special tie-in events with related products. The advertising role of The American Dairy Association, as part of the total dairy industry, is to establish a better selling atmos- phere in.which brand advertising is made more effective by giving con- sumers more reasons why they should increase the total consumption of 6 dairy foods, rather than merely changing brands." 51bid. °Ib1d.. p. 13. 75 An advertising campaign designed by The American Dairy Associa- tion emphasizes milk as a refreshing beverage as well as a food product and the strong efforts of The American Dairy Association is increasing 7 milk consumption among adults. The American Dairy Association is striving to increase the dis- tribution of factual information in an attempt to reduce unjust criti— cism based on the lack of public information. A test kitchen directed by home economists of The American Dairy Association develops new recipes available to food editors of various advertising media. This information ultimately reaches the super market consumer. The American Dairy Associationesponsored market research has studied consumer reaction to all dairy products as well as public attitudes toward the dairy industry and the dairy farmers. The attitude studies are supplemented by measurements of consumer purchases of various dairy products. This type of information has provided for the entire dairy industry a much clearer picture of What strong points exist for further exploitation in sales pro— motion and what weaknesses must be overcome to build additional 8 sales. The National Dairy Council Information supplied by the National Dairy Council to consumers is based upon and emanates from nutrition research findings. For exam- ple, The National Dairy Council studied the extent and effects of con- sumer education on the consumption of milk. The survey indicated that "...of the families having adults who drink no milk or drink milk in 71bid.. p. 19. M 81bid.. p. 11. 76 insufficient quantities, two-thirds know how much these adults should drink. 0f the families haying children who drink no milk or insuffic- ient quantities more than 70 per cent know how much these children 9 should drink.” Regardless of the amount of information given to con- sumers concerning the value of milk to the diet, the ability of the consumer to buy milk will decide whether or not the milk will be bought. The National Dairy Council works closely with leaders in governp ment, professional, educational and consumer fields to provide these groups with factual nutritional information on dairy foods. The infor- mation is then adapted to supplement and intensify the nutrition educa- tion programs of each group by each group. The National Dairy Council serves as a national resource in nutrition education, maintaining cooperative relations with govern? ment, professional, educational, and consumer group leaders on the national level. The program is planned and executed by a profes- sionally trained staff. Nutrition research is directed. authentic literature is prepared and distributed, educational exhibits are developed, colorful films produced, factual advertising placed in professional and educational publications, and food and news re— leases provided editors of newspapers, magazines and program directors of radio and television. The following services are portions of the nutrition education Fragram of the National Dairy Council: 1. Personal Consultation: Professional personnel, informed on latest developments in nutrition. offer their services as program consultants. ___ 9Margaret G. Reid, Food for Peoplg. (New York; John Wiley and Sons, Inc., l9h3), p. 190. logge National Dairy Cguncil Program. p. u. 7? 2. Exhibits and Displays: Visual presentations of nutrition subjects are available for use at conventions, conferences or group meetings. 3. Films and Filmstrips: A variety of subjects of interest to all age groups, featuring good nutrition and its relation to health are available to group leaders. h. Professional Advertising: Nutrition messages and information on dairy foods appear regularly in professional and educational jour- nals. 5. Authentic Literature: Posters, charts, booklets, leaflets, bulletins for teaching and other purposes provide authentic information on nutrition subjects. 6. Press, Radio, Television: Specially prepared food and news releases and nutrition articles are furnished newspapers, magazines, 11 radio and television. Through affiliated unit offices in the major cities of the nation, the Dairy Council program reaches more than sixty-five million consumers at the community level. Trained nutritionists and home economists direct the programs in these cities, working closely with government, professional, educational, and consumer leaders. Each affiliated Dairy Council Unit serves as a community resource in programs of health and human.welfare. The Dairy Conn, oil program provides consultations, assistance, reference materials, and visual aids to these leaders as a supplement to their own nu- trition education activities.12 lllbid., pp. 1-6. lzlbid.. p. 11. 78 Th ti Ass ciati F od Oh i The National Association of Food Chains cooPerates with various agriculture groups that request assistance in marketing a large supply of food products. If the facts of over-supply support the claims of the agriculture groups, then the National Association of Food Chain members are notified of the "Big Supply-Best Buf‘authorization. Season- al abundance of many foods offer consumers low prices and high value. The food chain operators participate if they so choose and the National Association of Food Chains and the agricultural associations release trade publicity. Direct advertising of the products are handled by the food chains participating in the'Big Supply-Best Buy'program. The efforts of ”Big Supply-Best Buy" programs assist in the stimulation of sales and reduction of overusupplies of all food products and, as in 1955. was of prime importance by increasing consumer acceptance of pork products when that product was in over-abundance. The National Association of Food Chains attempts to curtail price ' declines to farmers and prevent excess profits to distributors. The combined efforts usually sell the large supply at a fair price to the Producers and a reasonable profit to the distributors. Aside from marketing programs, The National Association of Food Chains assist retailers in public relations efforts by providing mater- ials and plans for store and warehouse tours. Examples of successful tour programs and organizational plans are presented in the booklet "Tours of Food Stores and Supermarkets, Warehouses, and Distribution ' Centers." 79 Teenagers who may be studying family economics, as well as working wives, will appreciate an on the spot demonstration of how today's homemaker can balance money against time in food prepara- tions. The store manager can point out that processing built into modern foods can save women up to four hours a day in the kitchen... He can point out..and emphasize the way in which these new foods fit into the pattern of modern living: trend toward smaller stor- age space and smaller kitchens, more activities outside the home for women.1§reater interest in gourmet dishes and those from other countries. Tours help the consumer become cognizant of the distribution problems facing the retailer and is also an excellent form of consumer relations developing good will between retailer and consumer. The opening of a new distribution center presents a special opportunity to impress your customer public...with the care and skill with which your company works to gather foods from all over the world and deposit them at local super markets and stores in the form in which customers want them when they want them. Be- cause the distribution center is new, it has a particular appeal on which many NAFC members capitalize through carefully planned tours. The tour itself may not vary greatly from those conducted as part of a regular continuing schedule in an existing warehouse -- but the arrangements are usually more elaborate. Personal letters or formal engraved cards may be sent as invitations, company offic- ials are always present, and luncheon may be served instead of the informal refreshments which are more typical of a regular tour.13 Women influence consumption of products and development of ser- vices because women spend 80 per cent of all money for food, and there— 14 fore are catered to by many retailers. lzTougg, National Association of Food Chains, April, 1955. P. #. 131bid., p. 2. 14 Canfield, Q2, Cit., p. 156. Consumers are showing an increasing desire for facts about products, prices, quality, supply and how to use goods to obtain maximum value and service. This desire of consumers for informap tion creates an unusual opportunity for business concerns to es- tablish good consumer relations through consumer education pro- grams... Accordingly, consumer education has become the theme of many successful consumer relations programs of leading corpora- tions.15 A quick tour of the store facilities -- particularly the behind the scenes operations which contribute to quality control and efficiency —- is naturally first on the list for any group. Information on grades and cuts of meat which will enable them to improve meat buying is perhaps the most popular subject with any group of homemakers or potential homemakers. A brief explanation of what grading means. definitions of the grades and why some cuts are more expensive than others provides valuable information for the customer as well as giving you an opportunity to demonstrate why more popular beef cuts must carry the cost for those which are less in demand.16 The National Association of Food Chains planning guides for tours suggest audience participation in tours and demonstrations. For example, a store manager may demonstrate the procedures involved in shopping in a super market. Asking the teacher or leader of the group to work with you (the store manager), as "guinea pig" will usually make this most effective. If she can bring with her a shopping list which she has prepared in advance, that is helpful too. Working with the shopping list, the store manager can point out how much time the homemaker can save by preparing her list in the order in.which items are displayed in the store. If it is her custom to purchase meat items first before making other menu decisions, these items of course, should be first on the list. 'Then the manager can show: -- how customers can take advantage of multiple item special prices. -- how customers can take advantage of seasonal abundance of some foods through buying items featured as "Big Supply-Best Buy“ under the N.A.F.C. farmer-retailer marketing program. 151mm. p. 158. 16Tours, 92. Cit., p. 13. 81 -comparison of labels on canned goods to determine whether she should purchase the fancy grade or a lower one. Tomoatoes for spaghetti, for example, need not be the highest grade. --loading items in the shopping cart to facilitate quick checking out... price marks right side up, special items together, taxable items together, and frozen food items together so that they can be packed in one bag for easy storage in the refrigerator when the customer reaches home. Demonstrations accompanied by questions will allow the store manager to get across a good deal of information on store opera- ting problems while providing the group with helpful and interest- ing ideas on how to cut super market shopping time.17 The American Ingtitpgg of ngigg The American Institute of Baking is the scientific and educational organization of the baking industry and allied trades such as bakery supply. and flour milling companies. The American Institute of Baking maintains a consumer service department to help acquaint the public with the place of baked products in the American diet through the use of radio programs, moving pictures. and home economists distributing 18 information to newspapers, radio writers, teachers and consumers. Thg Americap Meat Institutg Two actual programs will be presented in the following pages to illustrate projects and services in consumer education used by The American Meat Institute. The American Meat Institute, during World War II, directed a consumer education program on the use of utility grades of meat. The Program included full color advertisements in five national women‘s 17Ibid. 18!. Brobeck, "Good Dinners are No Accident," Nation's Bu ine , XXXIII (December, l9u5). P. 116. magazines, two national weeklies and a special series of newspaper ad- vertisements in more than #00 papers used every two weeks showing var- ious cuts of utility beef and suggested methods of preparation. Ad— ditional consumer information.was broadcasted weekly on coast-to-coast radio programs with outlets through 190 radio stations. Point of sale merchandising material such as several hundred thousand store posters and pamphlets telling the story of utility beef and suggested preparation methods for utility beef were distributed to retailers. News releases reached the home economics, education, medical and nursing professions. Editors of food pages in magazines and newspapers, recognizing the problem of presenting information on using utility grades of beef, cooperated by incorporating recipes using moist heat for cooking in their publications. Cooking programs on radio presented similar in- formation.19 Whenever possible, members of the meat packing industry made advance predictions of available meat cuts and informed consumers on methods of meat preparation. Similar information.was prepared by government agencies such as the Office of War Information and the Office of Price Administration. In presenting utility beef to the consumer, The American Meat Institute coordinated the educational efforts of retailers, advertising media. meat packers, beef ranchers, and government agencies into a single program. 19Ib1d.. p. 118. 83 in order to activate sales of large quantities of pork flooding the market in 1955, The American Meat Institute placed full page ad— vertisements in color in the September issues of Life and Saturday Evening qug, "More than “0,000,000 readers of these magazines were reminded that pork was a highly nutritious and healthful protein food, 20 and that Fall was the time to look for attractive prices.” Hog prices continued to fall in the Fall of 1955. In October, the American Meat Institute put the first emer- gency type of advertising effort into action. More than 100 radio stations in every major marketing area began carrying the Insti- tute's pork messages on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the prin- cipal shopping days. These announcements told of the extremely good buy which pork offered consumers. and reminded them of park's high nutritional qualities. This advertising program saturated broadcast time with spot announcements 570 times each day. “Home" and "Today" television pro- grams featured pork and Super Market Institute sent promotion and in- store advertising material to retail stores and ave; 12,000 super mar- kets featured pork with tie-in sales on vegetables. 2 The National Association of Food Chains cooperated with The Amer- ican.Meat Institute through facilities of the "Big Supply-Best Buy" 23 marketing information program. 20Selling Pork t9 America, American Meat Institute, May, 1956. p. 2. ZlIb g. 22 191;. 23See page 78 of thesis for additional information on "Big Supply- Best Buy" and The National Association of Food Chains. McCall[§, Good HousekeepingJ Family Circle. This Week, ggtter Livigg, Life, Town Journal, Woman's Day. Collierg, The Americap flgmg, and §gccgg§fnl garming joined the drive along with newspaper supple- ments to make the public conscious of the excellent pork values by devoting many pages of editorial space to different methods of using pork and news stories about the nutritional value and low price of pork. Pork advertisements appeared in leading medical journals as part of the effort to keep pork in the diet of almost every type of Detailed nutritive values and recommended patient under medical care. diet amounts of pork were explained in the medical journals. The following exerpt is an example of an advertisement concerning the value of pork to the consumer. Remember when grandmother claimed that night air was danger- ous fer her precious little Priscilla? Of course you do. Those were the days when it was fashionable to think that In those days it was even popular park was an.“unhealthy" food. to omit all meat from the diet for practically any illness. But modern nutritional science did not grow out of old wive's-tales. It searched for facts and found the truth. Today we know that meat is one of the finest sources of protein, the important nutrient needed by everyone, everyday, whether he be in ill health or hale and hearty. Pork, like all meats, when properly cooked is virtually Its protein is used for both tissue growth completely digestible. and maintenance. In addition, pork meat makes other contributions to good It is one of the most valuable food sources of thiamine. nutrition. It is rich in other B vitamins and in minerals such as phosphor- ous and iron. Yes. today pork is not only a highly popular meat in Amer- ica, but its combination of economy. palate-pleasing taste and high nutritional value makes it a valuable part of America's everyday diet.2u 85 A pork nutrition chart was sent to leading newspapers, and tele- vision and radio stations in the United States in an effort to help strengthen the position of pork nutritionally. The American Meat In- stitute members distributed quantities of the nutrition charts to their customers and other interested groups such as schools and women's clubs. More than 35.000 promotional pieces were displayed in 15.000 super mar- kets on pork during February and March in 1956. The material assisted in influencing housewives to select pork as the low-insprice and high- in-nutrition protein food around which to plan meals.25 Projects used by The American Meat Institute in consumer educap tion were illustrated by utility beef uses and benefits education pro- gram and the reduction of over-supply of pork on the market. These projects illustrated the following services of The American Meat In- stitute: 1. Product advertising by The American Meat Institute in nation- al publications. 2. Advertising plans for retailer and manufacturer. 3. Point—of-sale merchandising programs and material. b. Coordination of advertisers. media, and government agencies. 5. Cooperation with trade and professional organizations. 6. Publication of booklets. posters, and recipes for schools. consumer groups, and parent—teacher associations, 2111111., p. 12. 25%.! PI 2”. Nutrition education programs for doctors and consumers. 7. The "heat Flgur Institute The Wheat Flour Institute offers films. pamphlets, and charts for teachers and students. Information is available on subjects such as: buying, storing flour, cooking economies, serving appetizing meals. 26 and food Values of common portions of food products. The Cereal Institute During World War II The Cereal Institute presented nutrition information to consumers through photographs and recipes prepared for newspaper and magazine cookery pages; health, pep, and cookery scripts for women's radio programs; booklets, recipe material, volumes of his- torical and nutritional matter for home economics teachers, schools and 27 clubs. Th; Fishegz Council The Fishery Council of New York and the middle Atlantic states The distributes booklets on the subject of fish and fish cookery. Fishery Council has recently installed a test kitchen to expand its 28 homemaker information service. 2駧£_£g_§;gg, Wheat Flour Institute, 1953. P. 2. 2 2?. Brobeck, Op. Cit. 281bid.. p. 120. The Tea Bureau 87 The Tea Bureau educates the consumer on the preparation of tea through pamphlets, films, leaflets, magazines, newspapers and direct 2 mail. The American Spice Trade Association The American Spice Trade Association uses all modern publicity 30 methods to teach women the names, types, and uses of spices. The Poultry and Egg National Bgard The Consumer Information Service of the Poultry and Egg National Board offers information on egg selection, grading, care, cookery, and nutritional benefits of eggs and poultry. The Poultry and Egg National Board explains false food inhibitions concerning eggs. For example, people living in New England prefer brown eggs and people living in New York prefer white eggs, each consumer group believing one egg to be of greater nutritional value than the other. In actuality, brown and White eggs are identical in nutritional value. Information is also distributed on the subjects of: dried egg cookery, care and storage, reconstitution, measurement, quantity cookery, and household tested Peeipes. The following publications are offered: 1. ”The Miraculous Broiler-Fryer Chicken" is a recipe book con- taining thirty recipes. 2. "Turkey" is a pamphlet presenting information on buying, d ct . cooking, trussing, recipes, carving, and care of COnked turkey pro u s H 0" p. p. O 88 3. "Let's Have a Barbeque" is a booklet which offers recipes, history, and plans for organization of small or large barbeque par- ties. " ,. 'n 0 h. Tu.key everyday and Holidays" is a 32 page booklet contain- ing basic cooking methods, carving instructions, information on giblets and gravies, recipes, and menus. The American Medical Associatign The Council on Fbods of The American Medical Association has es- tablished a reduction in misrepresentation and increased the informa- tion in the advertising of foods. Systematic analysis of food adver- tising and labeling by The American Medical Association was begun by a Committee on Foods first organized in 1929 and in 1936 the Council on Foods was established to continue and enlarge the food advertising controls. The purpose of the Council is to consider foods and food advertising in the light of established knowledge or of the best authoritative opinion concerning food and nutritive values... Foods that appear to conform to the requirements...formulated are declared "acceptable" by the Council. Processed foods have been the chief concern because it is largely through advertising that the consumer is informed as to the composition and nutritive properties of such foods. The Council aims to render service by recognizing the products of firms which honestly desire to restrict their claims to those which the Council believes are well established...Educational food advertising presenting scientific information... is consid- ered by the Council. When such advertising is acceptable to the Council it may display the Council's Seal of Acceptance. Appropriate explanations or pertinent infonnation should accompany scientific statements whenever necessary to assure their correct interpretation. A primary duty of sponsors and writers of educational advertising should be to make certain that all statements not only are truthful, but will be thoroughly and prop— . erly understood. Educational advertising should properly eval- uate foods with respect to those common on the market and to the requirements of an adequate diet. Exaggeration or implication 39 that all nutritive values reside in a single food or any undue emphasis on the nutritional or psychologic values of any one food is a form of deception. Theg§uper Market Institute The Super Market Institute has developed plans for super market operators' use for tours of retail stores. warehouses. and offices to as sist retailer efforts towards corsumer education and consumer relations. The following exerpt defines The Super Market Institute policy on tours: The purpose of the tour is to show how super markets oper- ate and to point out equipment efficiencies and skills which keep expenses and prices down. The significance of these many things and what they contribute to the whole operation is often further explained later during the day. Select the tour guides from those employees or executives who can best explain the entire operation32 It is important that the guides be familiar with every de ail. Some areas to be toured and discussed include: 1. Receiving and temporary storage. 2. Inc spection for quality. 9 Inspection for quantity. 4. Temporary storage facilities. 5. Pre-packaged sales displays. 6 . Pre-packaging methods. 7. Sanitary measures throughout the operation, 31M. G. Reid, 92, Cit t.. p. n61. 32Pgrticipatiggi n3 Business—Educatign 951. Super Market Institute, 0“case. p. 5. 90 8. Safety measures throughout the operation. 9. Selling floor. 10. Display cases. l1. Check-out operation. 12. Price marking. 13. Produce inspection and trimming. 1U. Offices. 15. Consumer services: parking, check cashing, package pickup. The Natignal Association of Retail Grocers of the United States The National Association of Retail Grocers of the United States publishes several types of literature available on request for consum- ers. 1. "How to Get the Most out of Your Grocery Dollar" is a booklet explaining shopping methods utilizing advertising, promotions. and sales. Monthly meat menus. yearly schedules of in-season fruits and vegetables and suggestions for buying to suit special food needs rather than buying high quality products for simple cooking requirements are included in the booklet. 2. "Stretching the Meat Dollar" is a pamphlet presenting infor- mation on: a. economies in buying. b. care of meat. c. frozen meat. d. economies in cooking. e. carving. f. advantages of low temperature cooking. 91 3. Recipe booklets include: a. "What Every Man Should Know About Cooking." b. "Recipes for Lent and Easter." c. "A Harvest of Good Recipes." d. ”Summer Recipes that Keep you Cool." 6. "Easy Recipes for New Cooks." For service clubs and consumer groups, The National Association of Retail Grocers of the United States offers suggested speeches for 33 - industry representatives. Grocegy Manufacturers of America The Grocery Manufacturers of America has worked constantly towards the development of descriptive labeling, the program for which is outlined in the following exerpt: Freely granting imperfections in our present system such as corrupt practices by a handful of business chiselers, the G.M.A. deny that there is any disease in it that business itself cannot cure. The solution of the consumer's problems, lies in more and better education and self—education. Not only is the solution stated, but comments on progress are made... Education for better consumership is rapidly developing in schools and through many adult groups; understandable standards of comparison and informa- tive and descriptive advertising and labeling are being increas- ingly used.3u According to the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration every food label must carry the following information: 33See Appendix A. A.E. Hesse, "Grade Labelling's Effect on the Consumer," Agygg- ti 1 and Sellin , xxxvm (April, 1915), p. 46. 92 1. Name of product. 2. Name and address of manufacturer, packer, or distributor. 3. Net contents. 4. When significant, as in the case of canned fruits and vegetables, the following information is required: a. Variety (for example, white or yellow corn). b. Style of pack (whole, halves, diced, etc.). c. Packing medium (if optional media are permitted). .5. Statements of dietary properties, if special dietary uses are claimed. 6. Statement of artificial coloring, flavoring or chemical preservatives, if used. 7, If below basic standard of quality or below standard of fill of container set by Food and Drug Administration, must so state in prescribed legal manner. 8. All words, statements and other information required by law must appear in the English language. 9. Ingredients (many foods. for example, canned peas, mayonnaise, and margarine, for which the government has set stand— ards of identity, do not require a declaration of all ingredients.35 The regulations on labeling as described above is the basis on which the Grocery Manufacturers of American has planned descriptive labeling which is fully explained in the booklet ”The Label Tells the Stogy" presenting information on the disadvantages of letter grades on canned fruits and vegetables (eg. A,B,C) and the advantages of des- criptive labeling. The booklet defines a descriptive label as having the following characteristics in addition to the information required by the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration: p' 30 1. An up—to-date picture of the product reproduced as accurately as possible to give the right idea of color, size, and appearance; perhaps illustrating use. 2. Detail about quantity. In addition to net contents re- quired by law, number of portions, number of pieces, number of Cupfuls, size of can, etc. 35The Label Tellg the stggx, Grocery Manufacturers of America, 93 3. A brief description of raw product, possibly with method of processing. 4. For some products. directions for use, with brief but specific instructions; possibly recipes. 5. Specific information about the use of this particular quality of product. 6. Brand name and other identification well and attrac- tively displayed. 7. Mention of recipe books or other available literature when possible.36 Paul S. Willis, President of the Grocery Manufacturers of America, stated that it is in the interest of grocery manufacturers to give the consumer the information she requires for buying satisfactory products because the success in business of manufacturers is measured by customer approval. Manufacturers are continuing to make studies through their own research facilities and that of Grocery Manufacturers of America to determine the type of information consumers desire about food pro- 37 ducts. Euturg Hgmemakgrs of America The Future Homemakers of America is the national organization of pupils studying homemaking in junior and senior high schools in the United States and territories. Homemaking students gain a knowledge of the price, quality, and nutritional value of food as they shop for their families and homemaking classes. Students plan budget menus to become educated consumer buyers in the following manner: 1. Manage their money and get the most from it. 36.12320: P90 “‘5. 37121.9... p. 2. 9h 2. Make choices that will be the best for them and their families. 3. Know what to look for when buying. h. Realize that as customers they can effect the quality of the goods that are made available for sale. 5. ‘Understand that being a wise consum gr includes taking care of and using wisely the products bought.3 Teenage consumer projects for Future Homemakers of America mem- bers include representative speakers from the Better Business Bureau speaking on frauds and dishonest business practices. Future Homemakers of America members obtain and discuss the value and truthfulness of in- formation in advertisements. Local businessmen talk on buying practices. labeling, and advertising. 'Speakers' panels made up of grocery company representatives, parents, and Future Homemakers of America members speak on: quantity buying, inpseason buying, comparative costs of fresh, canned, and frozen foods, and possible savings of home processed foods, how to estimate the quality of canned, fresh, and frozen foods, what are the advantages of shopping at chain stores, independent stores, and super markets, when, where, and how can consumers save food dollars while shopping, what are the food habits of men, women, and children, What effect has the appearance of food have on appetities, and what Plans might a family follow to facilitate planning, buying, and prepar- ing foods. Young consumers are often aware of the consumer problems as is exemplified.in the following excerpt from a teenage play given by Future Homemakers of America members. 38W. XII (March. 1957). p. 1. 39%” Po 3- 95 Clothing isn't all that our dollar must buy We've got to make sure of our food supply. Spend your dimes wisely in the grocery store You might even share with mother your shopping lore. Learn to check the labels on the foods you choose Then you can be sure of the products which you use. If you have a freezer, there's many a good reason For storing up on all the foods that are in season. Foods are cheaper at this time, and so tasty too. Dad's compliments on cooking might fall on to you... A national project we unfold today Wise teenage consumers through FHA. angumers' Ugion Repgrtg ”An increasing number of families receive the reports of Consum- ers' Union...with moderate-to—high-income families being more fully represented than low-income families and with many subscribers among the professional group. It is not known the extent to which food ins formation in the reports from these testing agencies is studied and used #1 in current buying." The purposes of Consumers' Union Reports are to "...provide for consumers' information and counsel on consumer goods and services ... to give information and assistance on all matters relating to the ex- penditure of the family income... to initiate and to cooperate with individual and group efforts seeking to create and maintain decent 42 living standards." “01b1d.. p. 2. “1M.G. Reid, 92. Ci_t',_os p0 3.520 WW. XXI (May. 1956). p. 210. 96 The 1957 issue of the Consumer Reports' Buying Guidg, a.yearly publication, gave information. for example, on sixty-two specific food items. The information was accumulated from the monthLy publications of Consumers' Unigg_Report§_which has the philosophy examplified in the following quotation: Consumers need and want information about the products they buy from an unbiased and technically competent source; that they have the right to know both what is good and what is bad about the products they are offered; and that they can't get such informa- tion from advertisers and salesmen. Because American consumers want such information enough to support a noneprofit organization to test and report on products for them, Consumers' Union has grown to its present stature.u3 Summary Trade and professional organizations directly educate consumers through the use of: l. representatives at public appearances. 2. distribution of prepared speeches for members. 3. distribution of publications such as booklets, pamphlets, and leaflets through mail and retail stores. “. distribution of films and display materials to students, women's clubs, and consumer groups. Trade and professional organizations indirectly educate consumers through by: 1. organizing and planning tours and demonstrations for applica— tion by retailers and manufacturers. “31b1d. 97 2. continuing laboratory research. 3. coordinating plentiful supply and natiomvide sales. The next chapter will deal witn the role of government and ex- tension services in consumer education in the field of foods. CHAPTER VII THE ROL§_OF GOYEHNMENT AND EXTENSIONg§§311g§§ Intrgductigg This chapter will present the role of the Federal government in educating the consumer of foods. The type and sources of information available and the methods of distribution of information will be ex- plained. In addition, this chapter will present information as to the role of universities and colleges in agricultural and home economics extension services cooperating with state and federal governments. The Federal Governmeng Sgurcgg gf Infgrmatign The U.S. Department of Documents supplies consumers with publi- cations of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Interior. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare has been delegated to co- ordinate federal government efforts towards the betterment of consumer education. On April 11, 1953 the Federal Security Agency became the Depart- ment of Health, Education and Welfare under the direction of the Secre- tary of Health, Education and Welfare who is a member of the Cabinet of the President of the United States. Originally, the Federal Security Agency had been under the direction of the Department of Agriculture. The new Department of Health, Education and Welfare centralizes con- sumer education and protection activities under a single department. 99 T f Inf rm n Av i1 ble to Congggggg The Department of Health, Education and Welfare supplies the con- sumer with information, upon request, concerning: 1. Control of standardization, labeling, advertising and adult- eration of food products. 2. Protection afforded. by federal agencies controlling manu- facture and distribution of food products in inter-state commerce. 3. Uses of products involved in inter-state commerce. Cgptrgl: The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission are enforcement agencies of Federal government projects concerning food. Federal legislation defining controls on food products is based on the Pure Food Law (Federal Food and Drug Act of 1906). The Pure Food Law states that: tance has been mixed or packed with it so as 1. If subs any ct its quality or strength, to reduce or lower or injuriously affe it is adulterated. 2. If any substance has been substituted, wholly or in part, it is adulterated. 3. If any constituent has u, If it is mixed, colore a manner whereby damage or inferiority is conc 5. If it contains any added poisonous or other added dele- ' ions to health. terious ingredients which may render it injur 6. If it consists in whole or in part of a filthy, decom— rtion of osed or trid animal or vegetable substance, or any po in animalpgnfit for food, or if it is the product of a diseased animal or one that has died otherwise than by slaughter. been wholly or in part abstracted. d, coated, powdered, or stained in ealed. i4_ 0 k 1Reich and Siegler, anggmer Qgggg, (New York. American Boo °°mpany. 1937). p. #62. 100 In 1913, the Net Weight Amendment was added to the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. The amendment required that "...all packaged food be labeled to 830W quantity in simple terms of weight measure, or numer- ical count." In 1930, the McNary-Mapes Amendment to the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 gave the Food and Drug Administration power to establish "reasonable" standards of quality for canned fruits and vegetables. Standards were set at a high level to assure unquestionable product quality. In 1938 the new Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act was passed. It tightened up the labeling requirements and further defined the power to make definitions and set standards for each product. It greatly stiffened the penalties for violations and included a provision for injunctions by Federal courts to be applied when shippers persist in distributing violative products.3 The Wheeler-Lee Act was passed in March, 1938 authorizing the Federal Trade Commission to regulate advertising of goods involved in interstate commerce. The Copeland Food and Drug Bill of June 25. 1938 strengthens the Food and Drug Act of 1906 by defining methods of enforcement. By 1944, the Food and Drug Administration had set standards of identity for practically every canned vegetable and most canned fruits, and extended standards to include flour, milk, cream, cheese, fruit 2Fred T. Wilhelms,,anfigmgggldzing, (New York: The Gregg Publish- 1ng Company, 1951), p. #50. 31bid. 101 preserves, jellies, butter, eggs and oleomargarine. Food products fall- ing below the standard of quality set by the Fbod and Drug Administra- tion may be marketed only with a label indicating substandard quality. However, substandard foods must meet all standards of cleanliness and a wholesomeness. The Food and Drug Administration under the control of the Depart- ment of Agriculture enforces the Food and Drug Act. The Milk Import Act and the Tea Act. The Milk Import Act aims to regulate the quality of milk and cream that enters the United States from foreign countries. It must be produced under hygienic conditions... The Tea Act is similar to the Milk Import Act in its purpose. It regulates the quality and purity of tea which is imported. Tea must meet cer- tain standards set by the government.5 Exnissiiae Protection afforded. food buyers originates from the authority of the Food and Drug Administration which was established under the Federal Food and Drugs Act of 1906. The Food and Drug Administration has the authority to establish a "reasonable definition” and standards of identity for each food, as well as a reasonable standard of quality and fill. To protect the health of the consumer, the Food and Drug Administration controls the manufacture of food products so that the products may not be injurious to health. For example, according to the “Ibis. 5Trilling, Eberhart, and.Nicholas, When You Buy, (Chicago: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1938), p. 284. 102 regulations of the Food and Drug Administration, candy may not contain alcohol or inedible material. Some inedible material cannot be com- pletely avoided in the manufacture of a food product but the Food and Drug.Administration may limit the amount of inedible substances in the food. The Food and Drug Administration also controls the use of some materials in the production of food containers in that some materials may cause the contents of the containers to become harmful if said con- tents are consumed (eg. tin or lead poisoning). The government protects the consumer by assuring that food must be prepared, packed, and stored under sanitary conditions. A food pro- duct may not be "dirty, decomposed or otherwise unfit“ and may not be a product of a diseased animal. The government portects the consumer by stipulating that food labels must not be false or misleading in any particular. An inferior ingredient may not be concealed. Substances may not be added to a food to increase its size or weight or to make the food product appear of greater value than it is. A food product may not assume the name of a more favored food product. If a food product is an imitation or sub- standard in quality, it must be so labeled. A substance which is recog- nized as being a.valuable component of a food product may not be omitted from that product. For example, a vitamin substance naturally found in Product X may not be removed to allow product X and the vitamin to be sold separately unless product X is clearly labeled as to the absence of the natural vitamin content. \\ 103 The Food and Drug Administration protects the consumer by inves- tigating potential health hazards such as agricultural poisons and an- imal feeds. Legal actions are taken to immediately halt distribution of suspected contaminated foods. Enforcement is apportioned to those types of violations that would.most adverseLy affect the public. A product sampling procedure is followed to check on compliance as a whole and regulatory measures are taken on deliberate or careless violations. Industry groups have cooperated in product sampling to improve operations in controlling contaminated food products. In 1955 the U.S. Congress added $384,000 to the Foodgmd.Drug Administration budget which indicates the value placed on this form of consumer protection. Food seized (in 1955) because it was filthy or decomposed, totaled 3,909 tons, and accounted for 83% of food seizures. 0f 94 criminal cases instituted in the food field. 8b were based on filth charges. The Food and Drug Administration and many industries con- cerned are continuing efforts to improve the sanitary handling of food all along the line from the farm to the market basket.6 On February 25, 1957. a news release by the Food and Drug Ad- ministration announced the voluntary destruction by owners of 2,935 tons of food damaged in recent shipping disasters. Uses 9f Product; The Federal Government publishes booklets and pamphlets available at low cost from the Superintendent of Documents. The following are k A‘___ filming; Report of thg U.S. Department 91' Health, Education, figs Welfare -— 1255, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1955), P0 1650 10“ examples of government publications: 1. "The Poultry Guide" available to consumers offers detailed information on: kind (chicken, turkey, etc.), class (broiler, stewing, etc.), label (grade letters, inspection for wholesomeness), form (whole, cut, frozen, fresh, etc.) and style of process (dressed, ready to cook, etc.). The guide offers information as the basis for determining the best buy for specific purchase requirements. 2. ”Poultry Inspection a Consumer's Safeguard" gives simple and concise information on grading, labeling, and buying information for poultry products. 3. “Food from the Sea" offers the history and qualities, includ- ing seasonal variances of salt water fish. h. "Food Values of Fish and Shellfish" presents nutritive val- ues of all types of seafood products. 5. "Egg Buying Guides for Consumers" is available to all con- sumers. The bulletin explains egg grading in quality (eg. AA to C) and size or weight (eg. extra large to pee wee), explanation of shell color and information on best buys. The State Government and Agricultural Extension Services State and Federal agriculture departments contribute funds towards consumer education programs administered by state university and college agricultural and home economics extension services. The justification of the state and federal subsidies towards consumer edu- cation was stated in an annual report by the Michigan State Agricultural Extension Service. 105 Greater knowledge on the part of the consumers_about such things as supplies and prices of foods allows consumers to make more rational purchasing decisions among the alternative fOOds. A greater consumer understanding of such things as new products, services, and grades permits consumers to make more intelligent choices which aid producers and marketers in making production and marketing decisions.7 EXamples of state extension programs will be given in the follow- ing section of this chapter. Michigan Stgte Universigx ,firtension Service Objectives The Michigan State Agricultural Extension Service has as its objectives: 1. The desire to aid in the orderly marketing of agricultural commodities by ... _ ...helping to move normal and abnormal supplies; encouraging the acceptance of new and improved marketing practices; and re- porting consumer wants and needs to producers and handlers... 2. To assist in the more effective use of agricultural products by encouraging consumption of foods in season and in abundant supply; informing consumers of availability, relative cost, selection, care, value, and use of agricultural products; and informing consumers about new products... . 3. Providing them (consumers) with timely marketing in- formation and economic principles as a basis for dec1sion making in selections, purchase, care and use of agricultural products with regard to consumer needs and resources:.. h, Providing them (consumers) with information on such subjects as production situation, economic trends, marketing ser- vices, marketing gosts, marketing margins, and changes in the marketing system. Annual Re ort of the A.M.AL,Proiect of the Marketing Informatigg 7 .._________E____.........____1—_ .- Igr angumers Cooperative Extengign Service for the Year Endin “N v .Qer, 1256, (East Lansing: Michigan State University, 1956), p. . 81bid. 106 The Michigan State Extension Program aims at motivating consumers to adapt improved buying practices. "A sound educational program that provides marketing information for consumers is aimed at developing greater efficiency in the total marketing system and increased satis— 9 factions to consumers." Consumer Interesgg In order to develop a consumer education program based on the interests of the consumer, a pilot survey was undertaken in September, 1956 in Muskegon, Michigan. Listed below are interest ratings for sug- gested types of information as recorded in the Muskegon survey: Price trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “7 per cent Costs per serving . . . . . . . . .1. . . . . . . 2“ per cent Foods for health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5“ per cent FOOd PreParation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 per cent Plentiful supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 per cent Season for top quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #7 per cent New foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 per cent Time savers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #6 per cent Quality characteristics . . . . a . . . . . . . . “9 per centlo Care of food . . . . ... . . . . . . “7 per cent 9.23.1.4... p. 2. loliarjorie Boyts, Marcia Gilles nd Beh vi r f Muske H mem ers as Informatio . (East Lansing: Department of Agricultural Economics, igan State University, 1957). P. h, pie, and Mary Strickland, Attitgggg Related to Consumer Fggd figxigg Michp 10? Upon completion of the survey the extension staffs of the Michi- gan State Extension Program began supplying requested information us- ing modern communication media. Mgthgdg Methods of presenting consumer information are: 1. In Marquette, Michigan: a. two fifteen minute weekly radio programs. b. weekly market summaries for extension staffs in eight Upper Peninsular counties. c. weekly food shopping article in the Marquette news- paper. 2. In Traverse City: a. three weekly fifteen minute radio programs. b. one weekly fifteen minute television program. 0. weekly food releases to eight home demonstration agents in surrounding counties. d. weekly food releases in the Traverse City newspaper. e. two thousand weekly commodity sheets to local gro- cery stores.11 3 . Grand Rapi ds: a. thirteen radio programs weekly broadcasted over five stations. 11Regular mailing of the commodity sheets Was started on March 11, 1956. Since that date, 7,900~have been mailed each Wednesday to reach the grocers by Friday (as of November 1956). Topics for the commodity sheets are chosen on the basis of a commodity in season, its importance in the local area, the national supply. Simple recipes are usually in— cluded along with ”how to buy and use” information. 108 b. six television shows per month. c. two news releases weekly to Grand Rapids newspapers. d. weekly food releases to seven home demonstration agents. “. In Kalamazoo: a. bi-monthly food marketing letters to 1,700 families b. three thousand commodity leaflets distributed.week- Ly in local grocery stores. c. two radio and one television shows are broadcasted each week. 5. In Lansing: a. two radio and television nrograms broadcasted weekly. b. weekly news releases to two newspapers totaling 89,000 circulation. five thousand weekly commodity sheets are distri- buted to grocery stores. 6. In Flint: a. daily radio programs. b. bi-monthly television programs. made to three Flint news- 0. weekly news releases are papers and to twelve county papers. d. weekly food releases are made to six home demon- stration agents. A 109 e. "Food Marketopics", a mimeographed booklet con— taining expanded information as reported in commodity sheets, are released to 700 consumers monthly. 7. In Saginaw: a. weekly thirty minute television programs. b. weekly food releases are made to four city and nine county newspapers. 8. In Detroit: a. news releases to three daily newspapers with a circulation of 1,275,000. b. news releases to 55 weekly papers. 9. In Pontiac: a. weekly food releases to six home demonstration agents. b. weekly radio programs. 2 l c. news releases to fifteen newspapers. In 1955, Michigan consumer program employees prepared 950 news ’ articles, 1,831 radio and hll television broadcasts, distributed 161,000 bulletins and 1,125,800 commodity sheets, individually assisted 19900.432 persons with consumer information, and assisted 2&0,000 fam- 30,000 families with meal planning, prepara- ilies with food selection. 13 tion. and diets, and 25,000 families with food preservation. 12Annual Report for Year Ending November, 1256, Op, Cit., pp. 11—13. 13.12%. . p. 3. 110 Methods used by the Michigan consumer service for distribution of publications are: 1. Requests received at radio and television stations. 2. Store distribution of leaflets prepared for this specific purpose, 3. Regular mailings to professional people who work with groups. n. In answer to requests from a store for information on grades of meat, etc. 5. Food marketing information included in Home Demonstrap tion Agents‘ letters to club members. 6. In connection with exhibits and demonstrations given at county and state fairs. 7. Distribution to county and city libraries. 8. Use by teachers of home economics. 9. Enclosed with all milk bills in an area, at request of milk distributing companies. 10. Leaflets packed with apples or other commodities by suppliers. 11. To customers at farmers‘ markets. h 12. In response to phoned requests to office. Methods and media used by the Michigan State consumer education service for transmission of information are: 1. Radio. 2. Newspapers. . Demonstrations. O: U Direct mail letters. Store leaflet distribution. O‘Kn Leaflet distribution to professional people. Television. CD V C . Consumer meetings. 11193.9” p. 27. 111 9. Exhibits. 10. Shopping news. 11. Weekly food marketing news to libraries, teachers, and stores. 12. Trade associations leaflet distribution. 13. Tours. 1h. Inspection releases. 15 15. Neighborhood newspapers. Two examples of publications prepared by the Michigan consumer education service are ”Beef Grades for the Consumer" which is a booklet presenting grade, label and cooking information for retail beef cuts and the pamphlet "Food Facts about Serving Chicken” which presents in- formation on buying, cooking, and storing chickens. n v r it of Mar’land The store poster service operated by the extension service at the University of Maryland was started in 19h2. At that time we (University of Maryland Extension Service) were able to furnish a limited number of bulletin boards with pockets upon which the poster was displayed and timely commodity pamphlets were made available to consumers. This poster service was designed to reach consumers at inde- pendent retail stores and chain stores. The stores were very coop— erative in using the poster when the program was first started. As some #0 chain stores in the city (Baltimore) merged into super— markets, the bulletin boardpposter service was not as acceptable because facilities for posting were inadequate. When the program was first initiated, the marketing special- ist made follow-up visits to each store one or more times monthly. This became time consuming and was discontinued as a regular prac- tice. 1‘SIbid,, p. 16. 112 The Weekly Market News poster is currently being sent to chain, supermarkets, and independent managers, hospital out-patient clinics, schools. social agencies, and other individuals or organ— izations. Each week, 300 posters are mailed simultaneously with the Baltimore Retail Market Report.“ Extension services may provide localized information concerning food supplies through a network of county staffs. County agents are made aware of local preferences and availability of food products. The agents may suggest new uses of abundant foods which appeal to local consumers. Federal, regional, and state reports, with suggestions, valuable as they may be for basic information, are of necessity, general in application. Plentiful Foods ?rogram The Plentiful Foods Program is designed to increase the ultilization of foods in abundant supply through the normal chan- nels of trade. To accomplish this goal, it is necessary to ac— quaint the consumer with the fact that certain foods are in plen- tiful supply and that their use is wise and economical. This is accomplished through the cooperation of the nation's foods trades and information outlets. Each month a list of plentiful foods is compiled by UlS. Department of Agriculture and released, with fea- ture stories, merchandising and menu suggestions, to the many categories of food distributors as well as to the press, radio' and television. These stories and releases receive wide distribu- tion and are used as a source of marketing information for con- sumers all over the county. Extension Service Consumer Informa- tion Specialists also cooperate by featuring information on plenti- ful foods in their consumer—directed releases. Consumer education at the retail level is accomplished by enlisting the aid of all the food trades in featuring plentiful foods in their advertising and merchandising plans. Retailers and wholesalers are quick to realize the potential of promoting Vfiv " 1§A letter from Russell 0. Haves, Marketing Specialist, Coopera- tive Extension Service in Agriculture and Home Economics, University Of Mala-Dd. May 3. 19:57. ’ 1'13 plentiful foods, and have been very cooperative in furthering the aims of the entire pregram. The Plentiful Foods Program is a voluntary program, the success of which depends on widespread cooperation from food retailers intensi- fying the promotion of plentiful foods in advertising and display. The Plentiful Fbods Program creates sales opportunities for the retailer by stimulating consumer demand and announces values for food expenditures for consumers.' Summggy The role of the Federal government in consumer education falls into three divisions: protection, control, and use of food products. There are three types of legislation effecting the role of the Federal government. They are: to prevent adulteration whereby the food value is reduced or the substitution of one food ingredient for another, to control misbranding which misleads the consumer as to source or quality of the product, and to enforce the maintenance of sanitary conditions for food. Information on the role of the Federal Government in consumer education is coordinated by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. State subsidized Extension Services in Consumer Education in/ marketing falls into four major areas. These areas are: availability 17A letter from G. Chester Freeman, Chief, Foods Trades Branch, Food Distribution Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture snarketing Service, Washington, D.C., April 30, 1957. ll“ of food, utilization of food, recognition of quality differences of food, and understanding the market organization and its effect on price. CHAPTER VIII ROLE or ADVERTISING £ng Igtggduction In previous chapters, the use of advertising as a means of com- munication for responsible groups such as retailers, manufacturers, and trade associations was discussed. This chapter will present informa— tion concerning the education programs offered by advertising media as differentiated from advertising media as a means of communication for advertisers. A survey conducted in 1956 indicated that the consumer of foods refers to the four major advertising media as sources of information in I the following order of preference: Hagazines . . . . . . . . . . 41 per cent . . . 29 per cent Newspapers 0 o e e o . . . . . . . . . 18 per cent Television 1 Radio .... . . . . . . . . . 2 per cent Mggazingg Good Housekeeping magazine and Better Homes and Gardens have pre- sented editorials and feature items on specialty foods, buying and food Preparation in a continuing consumer education program. Editorials of these magazines present opinions on topics influencing consumer food habits. *Marjorie Boyts, Marcia Gillespie. Mary Strickland, Attitudes and C F d Bu in I March. 1957 . P. 5. 33h Vi r f Muske on Hbmem .Zaaaaiinal (E. Lansing: Michigan State university, 116 B.D. Anderson, Director of Consumer Services for Parents' Magazine investigated and presented information on the value of mandatory letter Letter grades often were found not to indicate grades for food products. or measure those qualities which consumers usually consider in deciding purchases. The magazine researchers did, however, determine that con- 2 sumers consider an A grade as being the best grade. Magazines for women are available for purchase at super markets. Fhmily Everywoman's Magazine and Family Circle Magazine are examples. Circle presents articles by home economists and food editors, the lat- est in food testing kitchens and develops food editorials in conjunction Super market chains with the policies of leading super market chains. cooperating with Family Circle Magazing are: l. Safeway Stores, Incorporated, 2. Kroger Company. American Stores Company. K» e 4. First National Stores, Incorporated. 5. Winn-Dixie Stores, Incorporated. 6. Jewel Tea Company. 7. Grand Union Company. 8. Dominion Stores, Limited. AH.C. Bohack Company, Incorporated. 10. Red Owl Stores, Incorporated. Consumers,“ 25.D. Anderson, "Is Grade Labeling in the Interest of ‘££l££2£fii_L£E. CCIX, (December 1, 19hh), p, 2#. 11? 11. J. Weingarten, Incorporated. 12. Furr Fbod Stores, Incorporated. 13. Furr‘s Incorporated. The publishers of Seventeen, a magazine for teenage consumers, produce a sister publication entitled Seventeenpat-School planned for home economics teachers. In an article prepared with the assistance of Mr. John.A. Logan, President of the National Association of Food Chains, Seventeen-at-Schoglppresented a plan for educating young con- The consumer education program outlined in the magazine art- sumers. icle presented information on: a balanced diet, essential nutrients, nutrient sources, eating patterns, super market self-service benefits, in-store information, and in-store activities. Editors of Seventeen magazine believe the super market to be an excellent source of infor- mation as is indicated in the following magazine exerpt: Here's where students learn, on the spot, to shop for good nutrition. The manager who welcomes you and your class will be a great help in describing the best ways to use the supermarket, giving points on buying and storing food... Aside from the savings this economical form of operation (self-service) passes on to the customer, there are important bene- One is that a customer feels free to fits students may guess at. take as long as she likes in looking over new items, comparing brands, deciding just what she wants. As the (super market) tour continues, the manager will ex- plain reasons for the layout of the store. Some are for customer some for ease of store operation... The manager is What convenience, also an expert on means of~keeping food in good condition. is his policy on storing canned foods...code datings on the dairy products...and vegetables in dry storage...? The manager will be able to give tips on seasonal and other "specials" and will have stories to tell of how his customers accept or reject certain new products. 118 Seventeen-at-Schogl offers listings of free publications and sources for foods education material. In order to teach young consum- ers how to shop in a super market, Seventeen-at-Schogl_magazine pres- ents projects for teenage consumers such as: Find examples of whole grain, restored, and enriched 1. What is the difference between these three breakfast cereals. terms? Find two canned or packaged products that list their 2. ingredientg and two that do not. Why is it that not all list in- gredients? ”Twenty one hundred homemaking teachers, 200,000 homemaking students and 366 super markets in more than 100 cities and towns took 5 part in Seventeen's coast—to-coast nutrition education program." Examples of super market chains cooperating with the Seventeen magazine consumer education pregram are: l. Albers Supermarkets: Ohio. 2. Albertson's Food Center: Washington, Utah, Idaho. 3. South Carolina. Food Fair Stores, Inc.: Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Colonial Stores, Incorporated: Georgia, Virginia, North and 4. Washington, D.C., Virginia. 3”Beauty in a Way of Eating,“ §eventeeg~at-§chgg;, (October, e 1956), pp. 3"}. #“Teen Cooks Supermarket Worksheet,“ v nte - t-S h , (April, 1957). p0 8. I? .3 5hTeen Cooks Go to Market," §gventgen—gt-§chggl, (February, 1957), 119 5. Fred Meyer, Inc.: Oregon. 6. King "Soopers", Inc.: Colorado. 7. Lucky Stores, Inc.: California. 8, The Fisher Brothers 00.: Ohio. Klein Super Markets, Inc.: Minnesota. 10. Thorofare Markets, Inc.: Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia.' 11. Ralph's Grocery Company: California. "Teen Cooks Love Food“ posters, advertising nutritive values of plentiful foods are displayed in super markets cooperating with Seven- 6 tggg Mggazine's Young Consumer Nutrition Education Program. Newspapgzs Consumer information centers were established in many cities during World War II when supply and prices were of'maJor consumer inter- est. ”Some newspapers have found enough interest from housewives in 7 such facts to warrant a.weekly column on retail food prices." Aside from carrying advertising, a newspaper supplies consumer information through news and feature articles. For Example, a news article reports current food information such as U.S. Army plans for feeding erradiated foods to troops to show safety and practicality of 8 In March, 195? the preservation process studied by army researchers. 6A letter from Sigana Earle, Director of Food and Homemaking .Education, Seventeen Magazine, New York, June 17, 1957. 7u.c. Reid, F926. :9; ngplg, (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1943)! p. .353. algw Ygrk Timgg, March 14, 1957. P. 17- 120 the federal government was reported to have submitted legislation to provide for mandatory pretesting, by manufacturers, of all food addi- 9 tives in use. Feature articles cover subjects such as the preparation of or- 10 iental and Armenian foods. An article may inform consumers about the preparation of elaborate flaming desserts and include the histor- ll ical background for each dessert described. Television "Home" is an example of a network television show providing food education for consumers. On Thursday, October h, 1957 "Home" televised 12 a nutrition and health program. "Home" also cooperated with the American Meat Institute and the National Association of Food Chains in Big Supply-Best Buy promotions for pork. Homemakers programs presenting information on cooking and menu selection are televised over major networks during the daytime hours. Radio 0 ’ 9 q ‘- h m rn- Farmers' bulletins and price rep01ts are broadcasted eac 0 ing in both rural and urban communities. Boston, Philadelphia, Balti- more, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Deny ver, and San Francisco... "provide a consumer's servxce consisting !_- 9New York Times, March 3, 1957, p. 77. 1on Y rk Ti e , May 20, 1956, p. 6. 1¥§gy quk Times §undgx Magazine Section, OC‘ 12"Beauty in a Way of Eating." 9.9.43.3” p. 2- Harch 20, 1955. .. 5“. 121 largely of information concerning current local prices, the prices prevailing in the market where housewives may buy ‘this morning'. Attention is mainly concentrated on foods having important seasonal 13 Change in price." .fiannarv A 0‘.A Current information for consumers is found in newspapers, mag- azines, and heard over radio and television. Presenting information is the intrinsic nature of advertising media. Previous chapters have exPlained how groups responsible for consumer education have used ad— vertising as a means of communication. This chapter has given exam- Ples of advertising medias' role in supplying information other than as a means of advertising. Some so-called educational food advertising presents pseudo- scientific information on the nutritional or physiologic values of foods in an artfully misleading and insidiously deceptive manner. Exaggeration or implication that all nutritive values reside in a single food or any undue emphasis on the nutritional or physiolog- ic values of any one food is a form of deception.1” "An increase in the educational value of advertising would occur were all falsehoods eliminated and more important information 15 provided." Schools, colleges, and universities, merchants' and trade associations, advertising media and other interested groups and .....— 13M.G. Reid, 92. Cit., p. 352. 1min” p. 168. 15Ib1d.. p. too. 122 organizations have been carrying on vigorous educational cam— paigns to snow retailers the benefits to be derived from truth- ful, informative advertising, and the losses to be sustained from untrutnful, deceptive advertising.16 _._— 160.M. Edwards and W.H. Howard, Retail Advertising and Sales IPromotion, (New York: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1955). Po 6&5- CHAPTER 11 SUNEARY:é§D CONCEUSION Education of consumers is not the prime purpose of retailers, manufacturers, trade associations, professional organizations, govern- ment, home economics and agriculture extension services, and advertis- ing media, however, opportunity is always present, facilities are often available, and the necessity is apparent. Subject matter on which con- sumers require information, as defined in this thesis, includes: 1. Unbiased food information. 2. Availability of supply. . Prices. . New products and new food ideas. 3 L; 5. Shopping services. 6 The meaning of grades and standards. 7 The economic factors effecting prices. 8. Choice of foods. 9. Determination of food needs. 10. Operations of food distribution companies. 11. The influence of advertising on purchases and sales tactics. 12. Elements of marketing costs. 13. Effects of buying habits on cost of food. 14. Laws operating for consumer protection. 15. Methods by which food laws are enforced. 16. Agencies responsible for effective enforcement of food laws. 17. Recognition of cuts of meat. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 2b, iés. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. i2?" 124 Labels. The use of standards as an aid in buying. Recognition of fraudulent claims. Methods for detecting misrepresentations of advertised products. Product quality. Multiplicity of products (eg. many brands). Lack of standardization. Correlation of price and quality; price and value. Food selection by budget. Social and economic factors effecting food selection. Menu planning. Food habits. Nutrition. Diets. The use of brands as means of quality determination rather than as a means of product identification. kets. 1'? a.» 3k. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. Standardization of standards. Assistance in buying through layout and design of super mar- What to buy. How to buy. When to buy. How much to buy. Methods of food preparation. 125 The bOdy of this thesis presented the role of each group partici- pating in educating the consumer in regard to foods in retail markets, Many organizations duplicate and over-lap subject matter on which con- sumers require information. The following list outlines the role of each group as illustrated in the thesis. 1. Retailer and manufacturer: a. Unbiased food information. b. Availability of supply. c. Prices. d. New products and new food ideas. e. Shopping services. f. The meaning of grades and standards. g. The economic factors effecting prices. h. Choice of foods. i. Determination of food needs. 3. Operations of food distribution companies. k. Elements of marketing costs. 1. Recognition of cuts of meat. m. Labels. n. Product quality. 0. Food selection by budget. p. Social and economic factors effecting food selection. q. Menu planning. r. Food habits. 3. Nutrition. t. Diets. P. q. 126 Assistance in buying through layout and design of super markets. Muttobmn How to buy. When to buy. Methods of food preparation. and professional organizations: Unbiased food infonnation. Availability of supply. Prices. New products and new food ideas. Shopping services. The meaning of grades and standards. The economic factors effecting prices. Choice of foods. Determination of food needs. Operations of food distribution companies. The influence of advertising on purchases and sales tactics. Elements of marketing costs. Laws operating for consumer protection. Methods by which food laws are enforced. Recognition of cuts of meat. Labels. The use of standards as an aid in buying.‘ Z. ab. 8.0. ad. ae. af. as. ab. 12? Recognition of fraudulent claims. Methods for detecting misrepresentations of advertised products. Product quality. Lack of standardization. Correlation of price and quality; price and value. Food selection by budget. Social and economic factors effecting food selection. Food habits. Nutrition. Diets. The use of brands as means of quality determination rather than as a means of product identification. Standardization of standards. What to buy. How to buy. When to buy. How much to buy. Methods of food preparation. 3. Government and extension services: a. Unbiased food infonnation Availability of supply. Prices. New products and new food ideas. Shopping services. n. O. P. q. 128 The meaning of grades and standards. The economic factors effecting prices. Choice of foods. Determination of food needs. Operations of food distribution companies. The influence of advertising on purchases and sales tactics. Elements of marketing costs. Effects of buying habits on cost of food. Laws operating for consumer protection. Methods by which food laws are enforced. Agencies responsible for effective enforcement of food laws. Recognition of cuts of meat. Labels. standards as an aid in buying. The use of Recognition of fraudulent claims. Methods for detecting misrepresentations of advertised products. Product quality. Correlation of price and quality; price and value. Food selection by budget. Menu planning. Food habits. Nutrition. / ab. aC. ad. ae. af. egg. 129 Diets. Standardization of standards. What to buy. How to buy. When to buy. Methods of food preparation. ”. Advertising media: 11. O. Unbiased food information. Availability of supply. Prices. New products and new food ideas. \ Shopping services. The meaning of grades and standards. The economic factors effecting prices. Choice of foods. Determination of food needs. Operations of food distribution companies. Elements of marketing costs. Laws Operating for consumer protection. Methods by which food laws are enforced. Agencies responsible for effective enforcement of food laws. Recognition of cuts of meat. Labels. Product quality. 130 r. Menu planning. 8. Food habits. t. Nutrition. u. Diets. v. What to buy. w. How to buy. x. When to buy. Y. Methods of food preparation. In analyzing the above lists. it will be noticed that all sub- Jects of consumer interest listed originally and investigated in the preliminary chapters of the thesis are being presented to consumers through the facilities of at least one participating group. The magnitude of the consumer education problem has been.ex- plained and the interest of many groups have been aroused as illustra- ted in preceding pages. Questions are raised, therefore. for future investigators in the field of consumer education as to whether or not the information is being received by those consumers most needy of the information and if consumers are capable of absorbing the vast quantities of mat- erials being offered. In addition, are facilities for distribution of consumer information used to optimum advantage or are consumers in need of information unaware of sources? The housewife. who does a large fraction of the worlds shopping. is not selected forrmr efficiency as a manager. is not dismissed for inefficiency. and has small chance of extending her sway over other households if she proves capable. She must buy 131 so many different kinds of goods that she cannot become a good judge of qualities and prices, like the buyer of a business house. She is usually a manual labourer in several crafts, as well as a manager. a combination not conducive to efficiency. From the sciences of most importance to consumption. physiology and psy- chology. she cannot get as much practical help as the businessman can get from the more mature sciences of physics and chemistny. Above all. she cannot systematize all her planning on the basis of accounting like the business man; for while the dollar is a satisfactory unit for reckoning profits as well as costs, it is not a satisfactory unit for expressing family welfare. Under these conditions. it is not surprising that what the world has learned in the art of consumption has been due less to the in- itiative of consumers, than to the initiative of producers striv- ing to win a market for their wares.1 This thesis reviewed what is being done to educate the consumer. LE.A. Lever, Advertisigg and Economic Theory. (New York: Oxford University Press, 19h7), p. 22. APPENDIX.A Suggested talk for service clubs and consumer groups prepared by the National Association of Retail Grocers of the United States: There's been a quiet revolution taking place during the last 15 years. and despite its lack of sound and fury there have been some amazing results. For one thing. the housewife has been emancipated from the kitchen. The emancipation has been achieved so smoothly. so stead— ily. and without much fanfare, that most Americans have taken it pretty much as a matter of course. ‘Kitchen services have been gradually transferred to the man- ufacturer. who willingly has taken over more and more chores of preparing raw food from the beginning to the nutritious. delic— ious end. No one. I‘m sure, ever envisioned the progress the food in- dustry has made in the years since World War II. Americans of all ages -- from the infant to the octogenarian -— are enjoying the benefits of modern—day miracles in the food field. Not only var- iety and convenience, but wondrous achievements in food.preserva- tion, nutrition, flavor and economy. Yes, economy. All these wonderful developments in the foods we need for health and happiness cost only two percentage points more of disposable income than the homemaker was paying for the old-type products back in 1939. Mrs. Homemaker spent 23% of her 'disposable income for food in 1939. If she wanted to buy the same items in the same quantity that she bought then -- most of the old products still are available.-— they would require only T7% of her disposable income But the modern housewife and her family. too. wouldn't 'want to buy the 1939 food basket any more than they‘d.want to drive a 1939 automobile. Their tastes have changed and they‘re emphatic in demands for foods with time-saving features. nutri- tional advantages and.packaged in convenient consumer units. For two percentage points more, or 25% of disposable in- come. Hrs. Homemaker buys a bigger, better food basket today than she did in 1939. the mere convenience of the food product hasn't necessarily added to its cost. Studies have established that frozen orange juice. prepared baby food. canned whole kernel corn. frozen peas and some cake mixes are actually cheaper than prepar- ing the same products at home from unprocessed ingredients. How is it possible that all these extra steps in food.pro— ceasing and preparation which give the American homemaker foods with built—in maid service aren't more costly. Very frankly, if it weren‘t for the persistence of the food 133 industry in finding more efficient machinery and devising new methods to cut costs, these food products would be far more ex- pensive. While food prices remain relatively stable, their future depends to a great extent on what happens to wage rates. You've probably been hearing about the decline of farm income and the spread between farm prices and consumer prices. You perhaps aren't aware. however, that increases in wages, taxes and trans- portation are responsible for about 80 per cent of all increases in the food price spread since 1939. The farmer's share of the retail food dollar has declined as a percentage of the consumer cost. rather than.as an actual decrease in money received. The difference lies in the extra service in the kinds of foods the consumer has demanded. Manufacturers' and distributors' combined share of the con- sumer's food dollar also has fallen from an average of around 6 cents before the war to about 3 cents today. It is obvious that they cannot reduce the profits much more and stay in operation. During this period they have been striving harder and harder to achieve more efficiencies in their operations to offset a good part of the wage and transportation increase effect. Manufactur— ers have increased their investment per production worker from $7.500 in 1939 to $17,000 today as part of this effort. has year alone they are spending some $600 million on new plant and equip- ment. I will tell you a bit later what retailers are doing. I just want to say briefly that the spread between.farm in— , come and consumer price can be very misleading to the consumer. Convenience foods. with all the attendant steps in processing, haven't brought about the recent decline in farm prices. The major responsibility for the farm prices decline lies in the old law of supply and.demand. As farm exports have diminished and as surpluses have increased. farm income has gone down. but pro- grams are being introduced to find new markets for farm products both here and abroad, and we're hopeful that the results will soon be beneficial to the farmer. the consumer. and to all segments of. the food industry as well. Now don't get me wrong b- I'm all for wage increases. which certainly have helped raise our standard of living throughout the land -- but I also believe in being realistic enough to know that somebody. including ourselves, has to pay for them. We've got to be reminded that everyone of us occupies three corners of the em— Ployee-customer-owner triangle. As employees we want higher wagea‘ and shorter hours. as customers we want‘better products and lower prices. as owners of insurance policies and business stock we want our money carefully invested to make sure it earns enough to pay off a policy when it comes due or to return larger dividends with regularity. ~ ' The average income of American families has gone way up. Since 1945 the median income of American families has risen from 13“ $2,621 to $3.173 in l95h. But even more significant. I believe. is the increased percentage of Americans with an income of $5.000 and over. In 1945. 13.6% of American families had an income of $5.000 and over. In l95h it had risen to 37.3%‘with an income of $5.000 and over. Naturally, they can afford to buy a greater var- iety of quality foods and are willing to pay more for convenience. Another factor responsible for the "food revolution" is the number of working women. Working women greatly step up the demand for convenience items. For the first time in history. the number of employed women in the United States has gone over 20 million. and approximately 12 million are working wives. as compared.with nine million.in.l950. The percentage of housewives working ranges from a low of 21.3% in Salt Lake City to a high of 1&1.9% in Wash- ington. D.C. Also. there is a greater number of young homemakers today. About up million of our 1h to 2h year olds are married. They are open minded and interested in everything that is new and time- saving. In many cases. their knowledge of cooking before marriage was limited and they are not courageous about tackling complicated recipes with a variety of ingredients. They. too. want the easy and simple. and that's what they're getting. And I understand Just as many young men are saying complimentary things about their wives cooking today as they did 25 years ago. It isn't only working wives and young married who are inter- ested in new. time-saving products. Even those who've been.home- making for many years are changing their habits and adding the latest “convenience" foods to simplify and vary meal preparation. Of the approximately'ho million married.women (representing 67% of the female population). the largest group of homemakers is in the 25 to 3“ age bracket. There are nearly 11 million in this group. To break it down still further. there are 10 million in the 35 to #4 age bracket; 7 million in the #5 to 5“ age group; #% million in the 55-64 age group; 2.200.000 in the 65 to 7” bracket. and 503.000 who are 75 and over. Saving time has been part of the American way of achieving progress and.it was inevitable that the homemaker would be given her chance to benefit from the time-saving techniques developed by American ingenuity and inventiveness. The time of American women and men is valuable. but to be most valuable it should be directed along lines of greatest skills. which is again another factor in the American way of progress -- concentration of skill. Our progress has followed the improvement of our tools -- our means of doing our jobs. . From the historical point of view. I suppose. radar. the splitting of the atom and the hydrogen bomb connote midewentieth Century living. but as far as the American homemaker is concerned. ready mixes. frozen foods and "instant" desserts are the signs of the Modern Age. 135 There are usually a few raised eyebrows among the menfolke- the behind-the-times menfolk. that is -- when there is a discuss- ion of time-saving conveniences that keep the little woman out of the kitchen. They want to know just what the homemaker -- aside from the wife with the outside job -- IS doing‘with the time she saves in the kitchen. Well. the time the homemaker saves in the kitchen isn't for leisure or laziness. Women are responding quicker to commun- ity demands. They are raising larger families and.they have little help other than time-saving food products and.mechanical equipment. Years ago. women weren't expected to chauffeur their child- ren to school. pick them up. drive their husbands to the train. pick them up. organize PTA groups. sponsor Girl Scout troops and be "den" mothers for Cub Scouts. For example. there's a young wife in downstate Illinois who has three young sons. a big house to care for. is president of her local PTA.group and assists her husband in his art studio. What does she do with the extra time afforded by prepared and semi-pre- pared foods? Need you ask? Only a decade ago the farmer's wife averaged four hours a day at her stove and a city wife needed three hours to prepare her day's meals. Today. the city wife can hustle up three good.meals in a little over an hour and a half. and a farm wife takes only 30 minutes longer. An important part of the service National Association of Retail Grocers offers its members is its unceasing alertness and sensitivity to trends and changes in consumer habits and food distribution. NARGUS continually studies and compiles such in- formation. At least one-third of today's grocery department sales are on items that did not exist ten years ago or were there only in token quantities. such as mixes; instant coffee. tea and.cocoa; frozen fruit juice concentrates; instant desserts; dozens of canned and frozen fruits. vegetables and specialties; synthetic detergents - just to mention a few. If we were to add to this list the products which were changed and improved. we would find that two—thirds of the store volume is now done on terms which are new and different from those of 10 years ago. Approximately 300 new items have been added to the grocery line each year for the past 10 years. It's hard to believe that a century ago. less than 100 food items were available in the av- erage food store. sold mainLy in the bulk. Today's independent food store brings together an average of “.000 separate food and grocery items and as many as 15.000 and the majority are packaged in consumer units. Consumption of frozen foods on a per capita basis has in- creased from 17 to 31 pounds annually during the past five years. and by the end of 1956 it is expected to hit 60 pounds per person. Frozen foods has become a billion dollar industry; actually $1.5 billion at retail this year. 136 Frozen food packers have been preparing new foods for the market which is very pleasing to some consumers who are on a con— tinuous search for the unusual so they can be the first to intro— duce it to their group. For a quick rundown of some of the newest food and grocery products. there's liquid shortening and vacuum dried tomato juice. much the same as instant coffee; citrus crystals. a dehydrated product. comparable in taste and nutrition to frozen concentrates; superconcentrates. requiring no freezing (grape juice and apple juice are present users of this method). There are mixes for cream puffs and pizzas; frozen chocolate eclairs; frozen cheeseburgers; dried salad dressings; and nationality dishes, mostly frozen. but some canned. like Enchilladas. Lasagna, Cantonese Dinners and Blintzes. The specialty food business has been booming and every so— called rare and exotic food known to man is now available to the American consumer at prices to fit any budget. Whether you live on Lake Shore Drive or miles out of the city on Rural Route No. 1. you can be a gourmet. an epicure. a connoisseur of the finest. most exciting foods in the world. Not so long ago one of the national picture magazines showed how a mother and her two school—age daughters prepared in twenty-minutes a party meal for eight guests that would have taken the same team eight hours to prepare if the meal had.been started from scratch. The kitchen drudgery was done before the food was ‘packaged. The meal included dehydrated onion soup. frozen trout in casserole. frozen potato puffs. semi-baked French Bread, canned string beans and mushrooms. and jars of brandied fruit heated in a chafing dish. Like frozen foods. canned foods. too. have been undergoing quite a revolution. Sizes have changed. and main dish items in canned foods have increased ~~ like Spanish rice, beef and pork in gravy, beef pot pie, beef stew. and chili concarne -— all skill- fully seasoned and expertly prepared. There are pie fillings in cans. all thickened and ready for the crust. And ready—mixes! Just a brief comment about one of the most fabulous of all developments in this food revolution. Mixes have taken not only the cake. but the pie. the cookies. and the muffins. Cake mixes have had a phenomenal growth. National figures show that by the case (2% boxes to the case) cake mixes have jumped from 7.h00.000 cases sold in 1949 to 19.500.000 in 1955 (current estimate). The addition of flavors. of course, broadened the use of them and added new users. The tentative projection for 1956 is 2“ million cases. Another study of the use of cake mixes shows that of the 870 million.cakes baked in the home in 1950. Zhfi‘were from mixes. or 211 million packages sold. In 1955. 47% of one billion cakes baked in the home were from mixes. or “70 million.packages. 137 It has been the philosophy of the nation's independent food retailers. whom NARGUS represents, to give the lady what she wants in a food store and keep her for a faithful customer. Undoubtedly that is the reason independent merchants have been consistently garnering 6h% of the nation's food business. In 2“ states their share of sales is new above 70 and 80 per cent. Today's successful food merchant has to be as changeable as the modern homemaker‘s needs and demands. He must constantly add new items to his already tremendous stock of easy-to-prepare foods. He must continually remodel and expand his store operation to speed up service and provide convenience for an increasing number of cus- tomers. The nation's food store operators are a vitally important group of American builders. They have built modern food stores in every city. suburb, village and town in this country to bring food to millions of families. The retail grocer is the final link in the chain of food distribution. He is the point-of—sale rep- resentative of the farmer. the manufacturer and the wholesaler. The efficiency of his store is vitally important to all segments of the food industry as well as to the consumer. A survey of the independent field showed that for the year 1955 members of the National Association of Retail Grocers are averaging more than $75,000 for each new building, $l0,000 on store improvements and parking lot expansion and $13,000 on equipment to house the increasing number of food products. Of course, some are spending lots more. This year we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the super- market. and at this point I always like to insert a little commer- cial by saying that it was the independent food retailers who pioneered in the supermarket and self-service operations. In my travels around the country I try to keep up with their continuous improvements on the original theme, like mechanized parcel pickup stations. expansion of parking facilities, air conditioning. more effective lighting. covered promenades from the store to the park- ing lot for the shoppers protection against inclement weather. little shaded patios with comfortable benches for resting. One of our NARGUS directors recently put in a coffee bar to give the shop— per a chance to pour herself a steaming cup of coffee and have a friendly chat with her neighbors -- just one of many thoughtful customer services retailers are providing so that people will have a good time shopping for wonderful things to eat. I would like to take a moment to tell you about KABGUS -— just a few facts. NARGUS stands for the National Association of Retail Grocers of the United States and is reported by the Depart- ment of Commerce to be the largest trade association in the world. It is a federation of more than #10 local and state associations throughout the country and its total membership is more than 63.000 independent food retailers representing 123.000 stores. Many of its members operate more than one store and these stores are of all types. sizes and kinds. 138 NAZGUS was organized in 1893 in Chicago, during the first World's Fair. by a small group of retail grocers to establish an organization to secure adequate federal food and drug legislation. Its purpose today. as it was 62 years ago. is to operate in the interests of independent food store owners and the consuming public. NARGUS offers the services of experts to assist retailers in all phases of food store operation. There's a.lot of speculation going on about the future of the food industry. They're talking about the day when the home- maker may walk through the store without a shopping cart and sim- ply punch a hole in a card for every item she wants. When the card goes in a machine. merchandise moves from the stockroom or shelf through an automatic cash register and to her car -- maybe. To go even further. they've even mentioned the possibility of one day being able to sit at home while the shelves of the supermarket march before you in orderly procession on.your color TV screen. When you see something you want. you push a button and the merchandise pops out of the TV set right onto the living room carpet. Fantastic. sure. but I‘m afraid to scoff at anything these days. After all. the most spectacular. imagination-catching pro- cessing advance ~- atomic radiation -- is on the immediate horizon. It won't be long before we'll here no further problems with sprout- ing potatoes. They'll be stored at optimum temperatures for long periods without any feathery green stuff turning the potato bin into a planter. The Army Quartermaster Corps predicts it will be using radiation preservation by 1958. It is so new that the possi- bilities cannot yet be predicted. However. its many uses in food Preservation. anti-infestation of grains and other stored perish- ables. predict less expensive foods and more abundant foods through elimination of waste. .Along with dehydration and freezing and dehydro-freezing -- a combination of both -- are other methods of food preservation, such as infra-red and electronic preservation. The latter two are being worked on for signs of future applicability. Progress in packaging machinery is constant. from spray cans for whipped cream to collapsable metal tubes for jelly and mustard. There are non-drip cans. controlled portion packages. which.pour out only a certain amount. and the versatile plastic wrapping mat- erials. One company has experimented.with aluminum shipping containp ers for frozen foods. These are insulated. filled with liquid nitrogen which lowers the temperature to minus 150 degrees. sealed and shipped without refrigeration. This promises substantial sav- ings in the shipping of frozen foods. The next decade will be one of continued progress for the food industry. with increasing attention given to scientific re- search and technology in the growing. processing and distribution of feed. 139 As secretary—manager of the National Association of Retail Grocers, I talk with many thousands of food retailers every year, and with deep sincerity let me say that everyday I'm grateful to be in an industry which has a sense of balance and confidence in its outlook on the business scene. I am thankful to be working with retailers whose faith in their business, in their country, and their form of government is steady and practical. Indepenient food merchants symbolize the nation's spirit of individual initiative and free enterprise, and subscribe wholo- _ heartedly to the statement that America is still a land of oppor- tunity for men_who like to operate their own business. They believe in honest and fair competition as the corner- stone of our American way of life, and they have a healthy respect for the laws protecting fair competitive business practice. They believe that individual enterprise and operating efficiency, rather than size or financial power, should govern the opportunities for business success in America. Being "independent" should he the desire of every American businessman, for, as our grocers know, independence is a priceless heritage and individually and collectively we must preserve it. For what use are all these scientifically modern achieve— ments in the food field.that I mentioned earlier and every other industrial advance, if economically and politically we should be— come dependent on a super state. Let there be among these "Signs of the Modern Age" a resurgence of faith and courage in our ability tO make our own way and strengthen our own future. Our economic well—being through the centuries must be attrib— uted to many factors, of course, and among them are the vigor and ingenuity of our people, our abundant natural resources and our fertile soil. But in the main, our economy, which has created a way of life far richer than any other on the face of the earth, evolved from a climate of self—determination. There is no more sincere with that I can extend to all of you than that you may continue to enjoy the greatest of all human benefits -- your independence. Boone: m Albrecht, g.w., About Focus and Karhetsi (New Yorn: Co‘ugh UHlVQI‘SltIJ" 4.};JL) ‘ pp. 1.1"}. . - - o, . Us _ r‘ r ' m ‘ \F‘ r. ' J . aligoog, 5.3., demon tratlon LECuflluudS, thew *eroLy, Hail. inc.. sfiDOJa 99' i’”” ‘ 7v ' T“ , ‘ .l . a r ‘ 7:: 1“ ‘- H" ' . A “ A. ‘ \- ' Bacxicr J“ies, ’rice ;raCtices an. ;rice 4Ui101c3, \pr fern: Ronaid EAL" "311:“. CO 0 , .L‘]);) g Dir). .Ll‘,‘.;"‘}-O +0 LA '- Blinns and Tcore, Food PurchaSLn; 10? the Home, (Cnlcagoz J.? cot: Cc., lj;d}, p. Y. Borchern. 3.L., and glfie, C.H.. fiedern speech. (New York: I; Brace and 00., 1346), 93- d'QJ/o w o 0 $3 ’1 (-1 O BFaiLkII-vlfeitc, DO, and DObb 1 _—:I.‘_“.. Tho Dlii‘tl‘ibution Ci n 3 ~ -'.‘71?"7"’".'\1e 300d? ‘ L ,I L) -_ h . . . n - v'.‘ u "1 - \1 n I!» 1' . ‘ w ‘ fl. an .Concnlc :tudy. tLGnsun. scc.5t AOUChlEGJG FUL Wong, . .. ‘ .‘ , ;\ a ' ) a Lula». ‘ i. ,j'...} ’ lJpo };_"t..2)¢ ‘ . n 4 C‘ ' ,' v; >3 «’1 — - ~ :1 v . - .- L‘Il‘O'fln . _ a .."o ' arid DL“V.Ld.)O£‘1 ’ " ..yO' .xebt 1-1 rag. ‘ lnClri ..., 2“.) ‘1 Olfa" lC 3 -_ ‘ ,v _ Q’ _ r‘ ‘I ‘ Ti '1 1“ ‘ m. _ 2:— ‘I I? ‘~ I ----A“- (“Cl rush: ins Ronald press c0., ijpj), «n. e,;-L/u. ‘ — - ' ‘ , ,5 ' ‘ ‘3‘ . . 7. .‘ ‘7 I— ‘.' (N . V" “ " Bull, Sieeter, float tor the P" r kJCJ OFx: - ‘-:W .r- ‘ Caniieid, Bertranl ? Tublic “:imricns, \iiiinois: Sich"rfi ” Inc., 1350), gn. lay—aiv. 4» 0 lrl-‘fin I I‘ - " ‘1 _. 1 . " . ' -. Y‘-.— ' ' ‘ ~‘ 3‘, h 4" churchiia. Jilliam ydClUQ‘ ;c::in -or rel I .. . 4 I43... .3. ‘ “v“ . '3“ ‘. ‘ _' .Lt ' \A‘V-ov .; 14. a... _- 1,; $-ac:‘:l.L_L; 11 CO. ‘ .LL‘J.)C_}; 9 p0 i140 we»; yr. . Coles, Jennie V.. :ne Consumer-Euyer and the Harhet in. Jenn Jirey and nuns, ;nc., ay;;), pp. o~eep. 1 Converse and Jones. Introduction to Harneting. (flew YO??°3 3.?y *v 'u~“ w vv' Iz'-.A.—-‘ .LciCO' J- hr‘j}9 t). ?|'(. frantice~ Cepeiend, Melvin Thomas, Princigucr of Nercnandieinf, (UF¢C””O‘ f Shuv 30., lye/J. p. 103. DiCkens, Tilton, Speech-Dynamic Coxnunication, \New York: T'“court. Bruce and Company. ljp%,, pp. Zip-jig. 141 \ Donnam, S. Agnes, Marx» eti.s and housework Manual, (Boston: Little, drown, and 30., 192 J) 0 pP- 5-5.50 Edwards, C.M., and Howard, W.H., Retail Advertising and Sales Promoting, (New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1955), p. 6&5. Eisenson, Jon, The ngchc cry of §2€€Cé, (New York: Appleton~0entury- Crofts, Inc., 1933), pp. 195-205. Gillaspie, B.V., C n er ti n d their Si ific ce, (New York: Columbia‘University, l9u9), pp. “—35. Hall, Margaret, Distributive Tr din , (London: Hutchinson's University Library, 19505, pp. 51-132. Hayley, Edith, Ecggggicg of Food Consumption, (New York: HcGraw—Hill Book 00., Inc., 1932). PP. 81-234. Hepner, H.W., Moder M k tin amic d Mann em n , (New York: McGraw-Hill Book 00., Inc., 1955 . pp. 6b_2h8. Hobart and Wood, fig;ll§£_§9£2§lo (New York: The Ronald Press 00., 1953), pp. 9-593. Holtzclaw, H.F., he Princi is f Marketin , (New York: Thomas y, Grovell Co.. 19365. pp. 134-369. Kline, G.E., Modern Super Markets and Supgrettgg, (New York: The Butterick 00., Inc., 1956), pp. 21-u9. Lever, E.A., Advertisinggggd Economic Theory, (New York: Oxford'Univer- eity Press, 19b7), pp. 13-118. Mcflair, M.P., and Hansen, H.L.. R d1. 1 Marketi . (New York: McGrafl-Hill Book 00.. Inc., 19W). pp. “Bl-#67. Mendenhall, James E.. and Harap, Henry,.angumggflfldugatigg, (New York: D. Appleton-Century Company. Inc., 1943). PP. 1’333- Oliver, R.T., Dickey, D.C., and Zelko, H.P., Communicative Speech, (New York: The Dryden Press, 1955). PP- 257-279. .Reid, Margaret 6., Fgod for People, (New York: John.Viley and Sons, Inc., 1943), pp. 5-520. Reich and Siegler, n or Go , (New York: American Book Company, 193?). pp. h61-u87. 1&2 Shultz, Hazel, Th Youn C n r, (New York: Appleton-Century—Crofts, Inc., l9h8). pp. 115-178 Stewart, Jean J., Foods Production. Mggketing Consumption, (New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1938). pp. 6L2-6h3. Trilling, M.B., Eberhsrt, E.K., and Nicholas, F.W., When Ygu EEK. (Chic— ago: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1938), pp. 6—223. Vaile, Grether, Cox, Marketing in the American Economy, (New York: The Ronald Press 00., 1952), pp. 161-169. Waite, W.C., and Cassady, Jr., R.. The Congumer and the Economic Order, (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1939). Wilhelms, Fred T., Consumer Living, (New York: The Gregg Publishing 00,, 1951). pp. zo—u51. Wingate, John W., BuyingAfor Retail Store;, (New Jersey: Prentice—Hall, Inc., 1956). PP- 6“0"650v Wingate, John w., and Corbin, A., Changing Patterns in Retailing, (1111- nois, Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1956), p. 260. Zimmerman, M.M., The Super Market, (New York: McGraw-Hill Book 00., Inc., 1955). P. 18. The Editors of Fortune,_The Changing American Market. (New York: Hanover House, 1955), p. 1N1. Periodicals "Beauty is a Way of Eating," Seventeen—at-School, (October, 1956), pp. 1—9. "Brand Names Foundation Observes 10th Anniversary." Printere‘ ink, CCXLIII (April 2t, 1953). p. 17. "Brand Name Toys Train Rulers Young," W. (July 25. 1953), pp. 136-137. ' "Buying Patterns and Brand Positions Changing," Printer§L_Ink, CCXLIII (April 3. l 53). n. 1?- angumgr_3ggg;£§, X11 (May, 1956), pp. 210-255. "Sooking School Wins Permanent Customers, " Supermarket Merchandising, XVII (May, 1952). pp. 220—221. 1 15.3 "Do Your Demonstrators Abuse Your Privileges?" Suoermarket Merchandising, xx (April, 1955). pp. zoo-203. "Facts for Customers," Chaiufigtore Age, XXX (February l95h), p. 178. “Fernandez Builds Good Will By Inviting Schools to Tour Store," 2E2 Progressive Grocer, XXXII (June, 1953), pp. 6L-65. "Food Soles Start With a Recipe," Chain tore .ufi. XXXI (JEHURFY. 1955). lip, €3"690 "Grocer Horns in on Druggest," Business Week, (February 16. 1952). p. 158. _ "Home Baking is Booming," Chain;§}orc_ngg, XXXI (January, 1955), p, 70, "The Marketing Pattern.“ insinc§s_flssk. (December 17, 1955). p. 52. "Market Study of Brand Name Preference and Product Usage; 1953. 1951. 19L9," Eggnters' Ink, ccxrv (October 23, 1953). pp. h35-b39. "Mixes are Still Rising," Chain Store Age, XXIX (MRY- 1953). P. 11? "New Alpha Beta Layout Encourages More Complete Shopoing Tours," 223. :gressive_Grocer, XXX? (November, 1956), p. on. "Shopping Guide,"'§g9nomi§t, CLXI (December 22. 1951). pp. 1511-1512. "Supermarket: Revolution in Retailing," Business Week. (June 28, 1952), pp. 38-h0. "Supermerchants: Food Fair Stores," Eggs. LVIII (August 20, 19:1), p, 80, ./ "Teen Cooks Go to Market," Seven£3533at-Schogl. (February, 1957). PP- 2-50 "Teen Cooks Supermarket Worksheet," Seventeen-at-School, (April, 1957), pp. 8—9. Teen Times, XI (September, 1955), pp. 9’15. Teen Times, XII (March, 1957). DP. 1-3. "Von's Cooking Schools Draw 25,9C0,“_§ugermark§§ Mcrqbfigéjgmng, XX (April, 1955}. pp. 221-223. Weeklv Digest-Food Distribution, LVII (December 15, 1956), O. 10. 0 "Well Planned Signs Enhance Store Appearance. Help Make Sales.".§ra* , Agressive Grocer, XXXIV (June, 1955), pp. 70-72. 1&2 And‘TSOn. B.D.. "Is Grade labeling in the Interest of Consumers?" 1’21222221.12:: CCIX (December 1. 1911*). pp. 23-21;. Andrews, P.B.B., "Which Industries to Grow Biggest, Fastest, In Ten Years?" Sales Management, LXXIV (November 10, 1955), pp. 195-199. Blackburn, B., Dodge, B., and Shires, 5., "What 12 Years of Consumer Education Activity have Taught About the Consumer Movement," Printers' Ink, CCVI (February h, 19h“), pp. 19-21. 116-117. 31". H.L., ”Home Economist Looks at Marketing," Journal of Marketing, XIV (July, 1929), pp. 72~76. Brobeck, F., "Good Dinners are no Accident," Nation's Business, XXXIII (December, 19b5), pp. llh—IZH. Comish, N.B.. "Why Customers Change Brands,"_Dun's Revigx. LXI (March. 1953) 9 pp. 29'u50 Ecke, A.B., "Avondale‘s Fight for Brand Name Identity," Sales Ma ement, va111 (February 15, 1952). pp. 82-3 . Gates, W.A., "Self Service Retailer Speaks Out on PackagCS. Coupons, National Advertising," Printers‘ Ink, 33 IV (July 31. 1953). Pp. 35-37. Goessl, V., "Wise Spending," Practical Home Economics, 1953) t p- 10 0 Green, H,E,, "17 Market Analysis Reveals Buyers' Market Trends," W. ccxmn (May 8. 1953). pp. new; Guthri'. M.R.. "Choice Making; the Backbone W. VII (March, 1953). pp. 11-12. 32330, AuE., "Grade labeling's Efftct on the Consumer," Advertising nd $.11 , xxxvm (April, 1925), p. no. Aims and Objectives," Journal of 1950). PP- 15‘18. Buy Food, 1937—1950," Monthly 195-197. xxx: (April, of Consumer Education," Kennedy, RwJ., "Consumer Education; Business Education, XXV (May. Kr‘Y19. I.B., "Work Time Required to M. will (February, 1951). pp. 1113-151, Lawless, Jr., E.J.. "Consumers Will Pay for Premium Quality Eggs," Ever be : Poult M 3 inc, (July-August. 1955). p. 9. Lewis, John E., "Don's New Superm Pzggressive Grocer, XXXIV (June, 1955). P. 78. arkCt has IncrOQSCd sales 66%I" 1h5 Lewis, John.E., "Rev Lee Brothers Grew to 15 Stores Doing $15 Million in 15 Years," Prggressive Grocer, XXXVI (January, 1957), up. h3—b6. Oxenfeldt, A.R., "Consumer Knowledge; its Measurement and Extent," Review of Economics and Statistics, 2x211 (November, 1950). Pp. 3oo-31u. 3°11973ky. Tibor, "Ignorance as a Source of Oligopoly Power." 22222222 Eggnomic Review, Papers and Proceedings, XL (May. 1950). PP. ”3-53- Scudder, F., "Role of Consumer Education In Marketing," Journal 9f Home W2. 1L1 (Januu'y. 19119). pp. 17-19. Troelstrup, A.W., “Consumer Problems - A Basic Course," Hggéhzggum, VII (March, 1953), pp. 13-15. White, C.P., "Stabilization of Commodity Prices, The Annals, CXXXIX (September, 1928), pp. 7—3. ' Bgoklgtg Better EEXEEDShiE Principles, Household Finance Corporation, 1997. pp. 13—34. Reports Annual Report of the A.M.A. Proiect of th e Marketing Information for Consumer Cooperative Extensi n Service f r h Y Endin November, 1956, (East Lansing: Michigan State University, 1956), pp. 9-15. Annual Report 9f the A.P.A. Project of the Marketing Information for e Year Endi W, to University, 1955), pp. 1-330 .223231 Report of the Campbell Soup Company, Fiscal Year 1956. pp. 1-9. énnual Meeting Report of the Flint Advigggy Council for the Marketing Information Program for consumers, April 5, 1956. p. 11. .Annggl'Repgrt a; the Gerber Products Company, Fiscal Year 1956, p. 5, Boyts, M. Gillespie, M., Strickland, M., ttit de d Behavi r Muske on Homemaker Related to Con umer Food - i , Information, (East Lansing: Michigan State University, March 1957 , pp, 1~1o, The new Michigan Marketing Prog§am Progress Repert,(Michigan State Uni- versity, December 31, 195“ , pp. 2-6. inc Pamphlets. brochures, leafletg 5 Guide to Better Shopping, The Kroger Company, 9. 3. §££§E£22_§22221.- White Bregd. E.I. DuPont DeNemours and 00., Inc., pp. 7-17. 33 Farmer Builds His Mazketg, The , American Dairy Association, pp. 11-19 0 Eat to iv . Wheat Flour Institute, pp. 36-u2. It ggeakg fpr Itself, Family Circle Magazine Co . p 1 Label Tell the St . The, Grocery Manufacturers of America, pp 2-5 .Lflfiééfi Facts About Baked Goods Purchases in Supermar ketg, E. I. DuPont DeNemours and Co. , In0., 30. L~9 \ L A L£££§£_2§§£§_§pout Todas'§:Shoooer in Supermarket g, E. I. DuPont DeNemours and Co. , InC. . 0 .3. .!£2£_§&£E£l. National Live Stock and Meat Board, Department of Hone Economics and Meat Merchandising. p, 1 Natignpl Association of Food Chains Bullgtin, March 2 1957 P 1 National Daigz Council Prggpgg, Thg, pp h—B P artic1oatin€ in g Buginegs-Educatipn D51, Super Market Institute, D 5 S 11ing Pork to America, American Meat Institute, on 2 2h Stugpipg Foods?. The Kroger Company. P- 1- "The New Millions," Feedipg Milliop§_for a Peppy, National Association of Food Chains, October, 1956. pp. 1—6. .I :5 pf Fgod Storgg and Super Markets, Warehguggg, and Digtributigp .QSEESEQ. National Association of Food Chains, April, 1955, pp 2-15 Gpvernment Egblicatiopg Annppl Report of the United t t De tment f He th Edu ti n and ngggge, Food and Drug Administration, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1955. pp. 161-169. Canngd Vegetables and Vegetgble Product}, Definitions and Standards Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Food and Drug Ad- ministration, March, 195“, p. 2. Sovornnent Publicationg: unnue; Report or the Unite' s t; .es Dotai tnent of ZealthLmducationl on: Jelfare, Fcoo and Drug administration, Unite States GOVernment Printing gifice, Hashingtcn, D.C., 19;), pp, Glol—lOS. gunned Vegetables and Vegetable Jrooucts, Deiinitions and Standards under the Federal food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, United States Department of Health, sauce tion, and jclfare, Feed and Drug Ad- ministration, March, 1924, I). ("e gems Re eaSe, United State 8 D89? rtment of Health, 9 FOUd and Drug Ldmfiw scucntion, and Hel- mlnistration, honday, Feo‘uery dj, ”95?, p. 1. Read the Lebel, Uni ed States Jepertmont 01 Health, inre, {cod and .'2ru; éIlCCltJ—Oll' C 1310 220.1..- AdminiStrotion, ulSCeilfineOUS .uI)J_J_C'1‘¢iC II ITIU. 3, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., ‘3: , l-;. 2 ewspaper Articles: New York Times Thy 20, 1959 Z 5< O W M New York 3'2 N-w York Timer SuPermarket flows, October i5, lope, Letters: m letter from Roland H. Darmcur, :icK-U-Pay gugermnrketc, Inc., Clove— lnnd, April 2, l957. Alett or from Sigan na Lzrle, Director of Food and omemakinj Education, Seventeen Megaz inc. New York, June 1?. 1957- A letter from G. Shorter Freeman, Chief of Foods Trades Brunch, Food Distribution Division, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricuiture Marketing Service, flashington 25, D.C., April 30, 1959. A letter from Russell C. Hewes, tension ”norm in 1 land, May 5, 175.. Harizeting specialist, Cooperative “ Elli- griculture and Home iconomics, University of Her". A letter from idna Mae McIntosh, Nutritionist for Gerber Baby F0063, Miciip gan, Ilovem ber /, l95o. 1&8 .E2!§_§glgasg. United States Department of Health, Education, and.Wel- fare, Food and Drug Administration, Monday, February 25, 1957, p. 1. .32§d_£hg_égpgl, United States Department of Health, Education and Wel- fare, Food and Drug Administration, Miscellaneous Publication No. 3, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., pp. 1-2. Newspaper Articles New York Times, May 20, 1956, p. 6. New York Times, March 3, 1957. D. 77. New York Times, March 14, 1957. D. 17. New Ygrk Times Magazine, March 20, 1955. Pp. 5L-55. Supermarket News, October 15, 1956. p. 5. Letters A letter from Roland H. Darmour, Pick—N—Pay Supermarkets, Inc., Cleve- land, April 2, 1957. A letter from Sigana Earle, Director of Food and Homemaking Education, Seventeen Magazine, New York, June 17, 1957. A letter from G. Chester Freeman, Chief of Foods Trades Branch, Food Distribution Division, United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Marketing Service, Washington 25, D.C.. April 30, 1957. A letter from Russell C. Hawes, Marketing Specialist, Cooperative Ex- tension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, University of Mary- land, May 3. 1957. A letter from Edna Mae McIntosh, Nutritionist for Gerber Baby Foods, Michigan, November 7, 1956. A letter from Agnes Olmstead, Director of Home Economics, Colonial Stores, Incorporated, Atlanta, Georgia, April 11, 1957. A letter from Joy Rasmussen, Director of Home Economics, The Kroger Food Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio, April 22, 1957. A letter from R.E. Riesenberger, Food Industry Department, Farm and Home Division, American Cyanamid Company, New York, April 23, 1957. A letter from Marcia B. Schwer, Beech—Nut Foods Division, Beech-Nut Packing Company, New York, January 23, 195?. 1‘49 5 A letter from Eugene E. Wiese, Dowicide Sales, The Dow chemical Company, Michigan, January 2, 1957. A letter from Ruth M. Yakel, Executive Director, The American Dietetic Association, March 28, 1957. Inter-store letter to Pick-KGPay Supermarkets, Inc., September 5, 1956. ROOM USE ONLY HAW: wits; 2: :, ‘ arms are ‘,~ Ps5 r. \ . \V - . .1 ‘1 , -\. MICHIC‘HAN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES \IHIHHIHHIIIHIHHHIIHHHIIH(NIH\IHHIIIHIHHIH 31293 03057 7039