Radio today (Sept 1935-Dec 1936)

RADIO DEALERS SELL OTHER THINGS, TOO Phonograph and music merchants show interest in electrical items * VVHEX radio stormed the electrical-appliance field back in the days we won't recall, its acceptance by electrical men was mighty slow indeed. "Too busy" with their regular knitting, established electrical shops were slow to take radio on. But with the public's sudden demand for the new miracle, thousands of new "radio shops" were set up, and thus radio has come to be the profitable master of many new stores exclusively its own. Meanwhile stable phonograph dealers, musical-instrument merchants, and piano stores are now doing the bulk of their volume in radio, and are included among the principal radio outlets. And now these thousands of radio dealers are more-and-more thinking of "plug-in" electrical items as additional things to sell to their radio customers. Many radio dealers have already added electrical devices of one sort or other; others are planning to take on additional electrical products. Next to the electrical stores themselves these "non-electrical outlets" represent one of the largest groups of merchants selling electrical appliances. Thus, today it appears that the merchandising future of radio and of various electrical appliances are importantly tangled and getting to be more so. Radio dealers have developed a strong interest in how the selling qualities of other items combine with radio under the circumstances of the day. They have learned to regard the extra items as substantial sources of additional profit; the very nature of the business points squarely to the sober stocking of refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, washers, table appliances, ranges, clocks and flashlights. We investigate Radio Today has conducted a national survey of the appliance situation among 5,000 largest radio dealers. The editors are interested in anything that a radio dealer does, and are determined to know to what extent he does it. No independent service stations were included in this survey. Would you believe that exactly 92% of the radio dealers reported that they were selling appliances of one kind or another, and 24% of the non-appliance ones said that they would add electrical items to their radio stock. When this adding has been done, only about 7% of all the radio dealers will be left selling exclusively radio. Which appliances ? Of the dealers already in the appliance business, it turned out that 80% were selling refrigerators, giving the "boxes" the popularity prize. Washers were next with 74% and after them the ratings ranged downward through cleaners, table appliances, flashlights, electric clocks, gas rangs, and electric ranges. Dealers were nice and frank about what appliances they were going to add. Among those who have decided to add something, 33% remarked that they would take on electric ranges, thereby giving that item the largest play. Here we go down the list of the other items : table appliances, 31% ; refrigerators, 27% ; washers, 25% ; cleaners, 23% ; electric clocks, 23%; gas ranges, 11%, flashlights, 10% ; oil heaters, i/2%. Fast sellers Radio Today's questionaire innocently inquired, "Which refrigerator is your best seller?" and 'Which washer is your best seller?" Resulting tabulations would be loved in some quarters, loathed in others. Rankings followed pretty closely on the rankings of volume of advertising done by refrigerator makers, if you know what those rankings are. Two different brands were rated first by 16% of the dealers, which was top percentage. Another make was rated first by 11% of the interviewers, and the rest of "the best selling votes were divided among 12 other makes given first places by from 1 to 10% of the dealers. Some two dozen different makes of washers were mentioned as being best sellers among the dealers. Exactly 14% reported one make as being tops in acceptance, 11% reported another brand, indicating that selling qualities were more pronounced for the leading washer than for the leading refrigerator. It was interesting to note that in the cases of companies which make both refrigerators and washers, success in one field did not necessarily mean leadership in the other. Plans being made Dealers went out of their way to dig up the names of some 5 dozen different companies in whose products they formally reported themselves interested. Seems that they want to take on everything from stokers to electric mixers. They'd enjoy knowing more about the electric clock business, and they show in 22 Radio Today