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50
THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JULY 23, 1921
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
PLANNING STANDARDIZED RETAIL SHEET MUSIC STORES
Music Publishers' Protective Association Now Considering Plans Whereby a Chain of Retail Sheet
Music Stores Will Be Established Throughout Various Sections of the Country
The Music Publishers' Protective Association
has just received plans designed by Eli J. Reiser
& Co., designers of the United Cigar Stores, for
the purpose of forming a chain of several hun-
dred standardized retail sheet music stores.
E. C. Mills, chairman of the board of direc-
tors of the above Association, in announcing
this radical movement on the part of the Asso-
ciation, which, while not completed, is being
given the deepest consideration, said:
"Owing to the lack of co-operation on the part
of the legitimate sheet music dealers and the
domineering attitude of the syndicate stores, the
publishers have found it necessary to arrange
additional plans for the national distribution of
their products."
The success of the stores and departments
now operated by Jerome H. Remick & Co., with
fifty-two retail stores, and Waterson, Berlin &
Snyder, who control fourteen stores in the Mid-
dle West, as well as several others operated by
music publishers, has led the Association to be-
lieve that the retail distribution of their goods
not only has big possibilities as a profit maker,
but will make them independent of those who
at the present moment are making efforts to
control distribution.
These stores, in addition to the stocking of
sheet music and orchestrations, will also fea-
ture talking machine records and player rolls, as
well as novelties.
With the elimination of 10-cent music and the
lost distribution from the syndicates who made
the 10-cent retail price their maximum sales
figure the publishers have realized for some
time that one of their biggest problems was the
need for increased distribution.
For a time it was thought possible that the
co-operation of the legitimate sheet music dealer
and that of the syndicate stores, such as Kresge,
Kress, McCrory, The Metropolitan and others,
would suffice. However, that arrangement has
not worked out as successfully as was at first
thought possible.
The syndicates, which are still operating sheet
music departments, have made an effort to dic-
tate the prices, the methods of distribution and
sales arrangements, all of which places the pub-
lisher in the position of receiving anything but
the maximum co-operation.
The publishers also state that invariably the
legitimate sheet music dealer, too, has failed to
give them the needed co-operation. In some
instances the retail trade has made every effort
to co-operate with the publisher, has featured
his goods and has found up-to-date methods of
merchandising most profitable. On the other
hand, there are many dealers who offer little
or no co-operation to the publishers in their
efforts to exploit their wares. Some of them
even look askance at the stocking of popular
numbers and only carry a limited amount of
such goods, enough to fill the demand already
created for the numbers, and make no effort to
carry out a sales campaign of their own.
Under the new plans, if they materialize, by
which the publishers will operate a chain of
stores, no effort will be made to interfere with
the sales now being handled by dealers. The
carrying on of such business on the part of the
publishers will be made with an effort to fill a
need which to them is most vital. In addition,
it will educate the dealers to the big possibilities
for profits found in popular sheet music.
In the old days the dealers did not carry 10-
cent music to any great extent because they felt
they were unable (and this was no doubt true) to
compete with the methods of the syndicates.
With the coming of 30-cent sheet music, how-
ever, a different situation arose and the dealers
found it possible to carry such stock, and as
long as the syndicates upheld the price the
trade did not feel any real competition.
With the syndicates to-day reducing prices
the old problem has, in a measure, returned, and
some of the dealers are losing heart, whereas if
they would co-operate with the publishers at this
time it would enable the publishers to uphold
the price for the benefit of the entire industry
and bring the syndicate stores back into line.
The publishers, as individuals, have endeavored
to create such an impression in trade circles, but
with limited success.
By operating a chain of stores which will
compete with the syndicates more than with the
legitimate sheet music dealer the publishers will
demonstrate to the trade that it is possible to
merchandise goods in competition with syndi-
cate stores most successfully and profitably.
This, after a time, will educate the entire trade
to the methods that can be successfully pursued
in such competition. It will show the value of
up-to-date merchandising methods, the means of
attracting customers to stores, insure added
profits and make every sheet music store in the
country featuring such goods ring with activity.
SONGS THAT SELL
Irving Berlin's Latest
Overnight Hit
All by Myself
My Mammy
I Wonder Where
My Sweet, Sweet Daddy's Gone
Drowsy Head
Oh, My Sweet Horfense
The Passion Flower
You're Just the Type
for a Bungalow
When the Sun Goes Down
The Big Hit of the
Year
Home Again Blues
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1587 Broadway, New York
NEW SONG BY BENNY DAVIS
Leo Feist, Inc., publisher of Benny Davis'
song, "Nobody's Baby," recently accepted for
publication his new number, "Sweetheart."
Davis is also the composer of "Margie," "Make
Believe" and several other successful songs.
NEW E. R. BALL BALLAD
Krnest R. Ball, the well-known ballad writer,
who is often referred to as the ballad master, has
just placed with M. Witmark & Sons a new
song entitled "I'll Forget You."
USINESS is good with the dealer who carries stock that is called for.
Order a supply of these today from us or your jobber
,
HESE SONGS
, THE PUBLIC
WANT
1 9+Vi ^ t r p p f P ^ c r " Song and Piano Solo
-Pianos
k J t l C C t l v C l g For a ii Talking Machines and Player-
Song—A Wonderful
Seller—For all
QwTdcA'
T fWTcJ^
Song—A
Wonderful Seller—For
all
kJ W fcJfc/ L X J O V t J
Player-Pianos
and Talking
Talkina Machines
Machines
Player-Pianos and
±LJ\JL1
JJ This is the favorite waltz of
ill prominent orchestra leaders
Published by
1015 Walnut Street
Kansas City, Mo.