"Anniversary Sales"

The National Retail Dry Goods Association, representing retailers in 500 cities throughout the country whose sales last year aggregated about $3,000,000,000, developed several plans for the improvement of their members' business at their recent annual convention in Manhattan.

The retailers expressed emphatic approval and endorsement of the Mellon plan for tax reduction, and will send a committee to appear before Congress urging its adoption.

One address before the convention--made by Richard M. Neistadt of San Francisco--scored the common practice of holding "anniversary" and other "bargain" sales, as a form of "super-stimulation" which fails of profit, lowers business standards, undermines public confidence. To some extent, Mr. Neistadt declared, clearance sales are a necessary part of merchandising, since no merchant can exactly forecast his requirements and is, therefore, bound to have some goods left over which can be sold at cut prices. But retailers use these goods as a nucleus only; they go out and buy other merchandise to put with them, and use various deceptive devices to make the public think it is getting special bargains.

In conclusion, Mr. Neidstadt paid his respects to dry goods advertising methods. "The exaggerated publicity these sales depend upon, breaks all the cardinal rules of common sense, and people become disappointed, resentful, suspicious."