Five Gum Firms Raise Price;
Wrigley Holds Nickel Line
Desperate Vender Goes
Poetic In Candy Plea
National Products to Resume
Vendor Production in "47
CHICAGO-Even though five major
chewing gum manufacturers have raised
the price to wholesalers from 55 to 60
cents a box, Wrigley's 'will hold the line,
and despite shortages and increased in-
gredient and production costs, will do
everything within its power to maintain a
nickel seller_
In a letter mailed to 800,000 retailers,
Phil Wrigley, president of Wm_ Wrigley
Jr_ Coo, wrote: "The five cent field has for
many years been an important one for you,
the wholesaler and ourselves, and we be-
lieve it is certainly worth an effort on all
our parts to preserve it_ It is our belief
that in the not too distant future there will
again be a five-cent buyers' market_ We are
willing to do our share to protect it by
holding our present prices so that both
you and the wholesale distributor can
afford to play fair and cooperate by having
at least one make of chewing gum that the
consumer can still get for a nickel."
The company realizes that both jobber
and retailer can hike prices to the customer
without consulting the parent firm_ How-
ever, Wrigley points out that good will is
an important factor in cultivating sales_
"Five cents and a package of gum have
always gone together in the minds of the
consuming public that we both have to
rely on for our future business in the long
NEW YORK-So Quaranta of Forty
Vendors, Inc., tried to procure candy
through regular methods. He mailed
orders, wired, telephoned-and then in
sudden desperation, composed a poem and
mailed it to candy makers. Titled "The
Automaton Candyman's Prayer," it starts
off -like this:
"For candy fine and dandy,
T1!o' it's scarce and not handy,
Fervently, I beg and plead
To continue my good deed-
Give my patrons what they need."
Quaranta points out his customers' need
for vim and vitamins, and ends up by be-
seeching the manufacturer for sweet stuff
to alleviate his vending distress.
If Quaranta's poem brings any results,
every vending man in the country will
probably tum to verse to keep stocks from
becoming worse.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.-National Products
Co., now manufacturing pin ball and phono-
graph parts, will resume production of its
drink and milk vending machine late in
1947. The company turned out liquid dis-
pensers before the war and is still making
parts .to keep those machines in operation.
D. M. Kitterman, president of National
Products, reports that the company plants
in Kansas and Missouri, which were ex-
panded because of the war, have been
consolidated into a single plant in Missouri.
run."
In announcing its policy, the Wrigley
Co. once again is following the same course
pursued after the first war when it refused
to raise the price of its product.
96
FOIl
DECEMBER
" .. 6
Candy Council Distributes
Second of "Candy Features"
NEW YORK-In introducing the second
in its series of "Candy Features," NCA's
Council on Candy will forward short stories,
recipes, and fillers to more than 1,750 daily
papers and 400 magazines. Copy stresses
the energizing and nutritional value of
candy, and is slanted to food editors and
women's page editors.
The Council reflects a spirit of renewed
optimism regarding the supply ' situation by
announcing that the second line of .the
industry's slogan-"enjoy some every day"
-which was omitted during the war years,
is scheduled for restoration the first of the
year.
Ad Campaign for Kools
LOUISVILLE-Brown & Williamson
Tobacco Corp., makers of Kool cigarettes,
has launched a country-wide advertising
program, featuring newspapers, spot radio
announcements and car cards. The cam-
paign features a departure from usual
radio and newsp.aper advertising in that
smaller sized ads and shorter radio com-
mercials are being used. Frequency of
appearance has been stepped up.
American Tobacco Sales Rise
NEW YORK-American Tobacco's net
sales of 211,381,592 for the third quarter
ending September 30, 1946 moved up 1.3
per cent over the preceding quarter, and is
51.6 per cent greater than the quarterly
average for 1945. American Tobacco's fig-
ures not only . include Lucky Strike and
Tareyton but Pall Mall as well. The latter
is manufactured by an American subsidiary.
Lucky Ads Best Read
BINGHAMTON-In a stu~y of best-read
ads, the Advertising Research · Foundation
discloses that the 1,673-line Lucky Strike
ad was the highest ranking national adver-
tisement in the survey issue of The Bing-
hamton Press, with 25 per cent of the men
readers and 23 per cent women noting it.
Production Begun On
Water-Proof Matches
OSWEGO, N. Y.-Manufacture of Dia-
mond Match Co.'s long-heralded water re-
sistant matches for the civilian ' market has
commenced. William J. Elder, manager of
the factory, stated that initial output has
been set at 7,500,000 matches daily and
that as soon as paper carton production
speeds up, 20 million matches daily will be
turned out.
The water-proof match, developed under
the urgency of war, was successfully used
by the armed forces during all kinds of
adverse weather. It is guaranteed to light
even after being submerged in water for
f
Razor Blades With
American Cig Casings
BERLIN - Europeans are marketing
razor blades under the strong stimulus of
name association. The tremendous popular-
ity of American brand cigarettes with the
foreign populace has prompted Continental
manufacturers to turn our razor blades en-
cased in packages of the same color and
design as cigarette packs, lind bearing such
names as Camel, Chesterfield, Lucky Strike,
etc.
Quality of the blades, according to reo
ports, is poor.
Scheuch Joins Parina Staff
SAN FRANCISCO-New sales and per-
sonnel manager for Automatic Merchandis-
ing Co., headed by :A.ichard A. Parina, is
Milton J. Scheuch. Scheuch was with the
jobbing house of Ralph & Sons for the past
three years.
•
Cigarette Output Up
WASHINGTON - Cigarette production
during the first post-war fiscal year has
exceeded the war years' average, 331 billion
compared to 328 billion during war-time.
AutoVend to Produce
200-Bottle Dispensers
KANSAS CITY, Mo.-Cracking the hot-
tleneck of small electric motors, AutoVend
Co. will place their drink dispenser on the
production line soon after the first of the
year.
The machine, capable of handling soft
drinks or milk in four flavors or varieties,
is electric, operates on push-button control,
and will handle any size bottle.
,The firm was formed a year ago by S. Q.
Noel, and J. D. and J. V. Harrington.
Students Use Candy Bars and
Cigars as Gifts to Teachers
MILWAUKEE-"The Apple for the
Teacher" method of inspiring good-will
(and good grades) is rapidly falling by the
wayside. College students recently started
something new _ in the field of student-
teacher relations by presenting their male
profs with cigars. Now comes a new
wrinkle by the young 'uns. Randall Rakow,
five-year-old son of W. Rakow, a vending
operator, recently put the "bee" on pappy
for chocolate bars for his schoolmarm.
Old Gold Extends Ad Drive
NEW YORK-Old Gold's major adver-
tising campaign, which started July 29 and
was originally scheduled for eight weeks,
will continue indefinitely, the company has
announced.
Excellent response by the puhlic brought
about the time extension.
Vender Opens- Smoke Shop
CHARLESTOWN, Mass. - Vending Op-
erator William L. Guinasso ilas branched
into the retail field by opening a smoke
shop here. Name of the firm is Page To-
bacco Co. Guinasso will be aided by a
veteran tobacconist, Mike Caparale, form-
erly with Caparale Bros. Tobacco Co.
Vender"s Business Grows
HAZLETON, Pa.-In another expansion
move, candy vending operator Louis An.
dreuzzi has moved to larger quarters at 52
S. Wyoming St. Several years ago Andreuz.
zi started with a half dozen vendors and
now has a sizable route.
Theatres Big Candy Outlet
NEW YORK-It has been estimated that
American theatre-goers buy 40 million dol-
lars worth of candy annually, which is
about four per cent of the nation's total
retail purchases.
Chesterfield Sales Up
NEW YORK-Liggett and Myers To-
bacco Co. reported an increase of 6.7 per
'cent in sales for the quarter ending Sept.
30, 1946 compared to the succeeding quar-
ter ending June 30.
More , Gold for Old Gold
NEW YORK-Po Lorillard Co. reported
a 10.7 per cent gain in net sales for the
quarter ending Sept. 30, 1946 over the pre-
ceding quarter.
Total sales figures for July, August and
September were $33,769,660.