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JULY 5, 1924
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
15
Radio Parts in Retail Music Stores
Eighth of a Series of Articles Dealing With the Merchandising Problems Confronting the Retail Music
Merchant in Handling This Latest Addition to His Line—The Parts Counter, How it Can
Be Made a Profitable Adjunct to the Radio Department
T
H E average music dealer has been some-
what slow and doubtful regarding the
handling of a stock of parts in his radio
department in the belief that such merchandise
does not offer adequate profits, and more par-
ticularly that the parts business belongs to those
who dealt in radio exclusively. He also main-
tains that the competition on parts was so keen
and prices were shaved so closely that it was
impossible for him to compete successfully. To
a certain extent the latter opinion is true, but
there are many localities in which competition is
not so strong but that a live music dealer cati
carry in stock a small but complete line of radio
accessories and parts.
There is a certain psychology connected with
the sale of parts that is interesting. It has been
the experience of most of the people in the radio
business that the most gullible of people are the
radio fans and the radio sections of the daily
papers are carefully perused by this class. The
fan hastily considers the statements contained in
the advertisements, consults his financial con-
dition of the moment and then spends his money.
This continues for some time until, after con-
sidering the amount of money he has spent in
the last few months, he is generally surprised
and decides to stop that expenditure and invest
his money in a standard set built along the
lines that he has been experimenting. A most
natural place to buy such a receiver would be at
the store where he has purchased his supplies.
At the same time, when he is purchasing his
parts he is always in line to listen to a sales
talk on the receivers that the dealer has in stock.
Cultivating the Fan
A radio fan will spend hours jusl listening
to the performance of the various sets in a
store, and for the most part he is unmolested
when he makes the statement to the clerk or
salesman that "Oh, I am just looking around."
The salesman does not consider him as a pros-
pect and therefore lets him alone. Not so with
the wise salesman. He knows that he is sowing
seed on very fertile, ground if he can but arouse
the interest of the "looker." It may not happen
that an immediate sale will ensue, but the im-
pression is left there and if the salesman hangs
on long enough there is more than a chance
that he can obtain a deposit on a receiver. It
is a regular process with a store known as
"one of America's great stores" and the sales-
man's instructions are "help the looker to look—•
he will help you enlarge your commission ac-
count. If he is interested enough to spend time
looking, don't let him waste that time."
•It is generally when such a party comes in
to buy parts that he will stay to look at the sets.
That is the time to guarantee your department's
sales by "sticking with him." Such a customer,
as an experimenter, knows more about the
theories and working of the sets than the aver-
age store owner does, but if your salesman is a
radio man he can handle him with finesse and
often turn a nice sale through the parts pur-
chaser. At any rate if he does not buy he will
carry the impression of your courtesy away with
him and mention his good treatment to his
friends.
The Selection of Parts and Accessories
There is probably no harder field to "buy
right" now than the parts field, however, and it
will benefit the dealer to investigate the demands
well before stocking. Where there are five or
six receivers of a given type on the market, there
are a hundred condensers, each making its claims
and each having its field. One thing is 1 assured,
the buying public is being taught that the best
(quality) is always the cheapest in the long run,
although it may cost a few pennies more to
begin with. Buyers are looking towards ap-
paratus which can show laboratory tests of high
efficiency and low losses. Therefore look over
the products very carefully with this in mind
before stocking.
The parts that are in demand most of the time
and therefore are considered as standard prod-
ucts of the "parts department" are as follows:
Variable condensers (low loss and vernier types),
fixed condensers, sockets, rheostats, grid leaks,
switches, dials, potentiometers, special coils (i. e.,
for circuits such as Ambassador, Roberts, Flew-
elling, etc.), lugs, transformers, knockdown
parts for standard receivers and small accessories.
This is only a small part of the goods available
for sale to-day as there are many special forms
of each that may be purchased. However, let
your common sense be your guide in the pur-
chase of these essential parts named and let your
stock be of the best, as stated before. It is not
necessary to carry a large stock of such articles
on hand. Just carry enough to meet the imme-
diate demand and to arouse the interest of your
clients.
Display your parts in a suitable fashion. Do
not fill a corner of a window up with a mean-
ingless batch of condensers, coils and price lists.
Just a condenser or two, a socket and rheostat
and a small neat sign to the effect that you
carry in stock all the best of parts and invite
the inspection of the radio fans is all that is
necessary. This combined with a radio set dis-
play will serve the purpose of getting the people
interested.
Understand Your Stock
Next in line comes the study of the parts.
Learn the goods thoroughly, or place the radio
salesman in entire charge of the stock. He will
understand the line and can talk intelligently on
the subject. Unlike set sales, a parts sale will
invite technical descriptions and discussions that
are dangerous for the average and unknowing
and untrained layman.
Along the lines of sales pushers, the daily
sections that run in the newspapers and the
weekly Sunday sections in such papers form a
most attractive sales argument for the sale of
the parts. Scrutinize these sections carefully
and push through window signs and talks any
particular part or parts which may go with a set
of particular popularity with the public at that
moment.
Parts as Feeders to Set Sales
This may seem like specializing on the parts
business to the exclusion of a set sale. How-
ever, such is not the case, as when a likely cus-
. tomer comes in he can very easily be swung to a
good argumentative sales talk on a completed
receiver. At the same time when the little boys
who are interested in radio come around they
will buy their parts from you which will prove
another source of revenue. Then when dad or
mother tires of paying the bills for the various
sets that are being built and torn down it is
the most natural thing for them to come to the
place where their son has been buying the parts,
and consider the installation of one of youi
complete radio receivers. This is not mere con-
jecture but has been a proven fact which has
worked successsfully in more than one case,
provided, of course, that you are not in a locality
where parts are being "gyped" or sold at cut
prices.
There is one dealer in North Paterson, N. J.,
for instance, who has quite successfully com-
bined the two departments, his. complete receiver
department with a small neat parts counter,
much to the betterment of his radio business
as a whole. When interviewed on the subject
he stated that he has done fully SO per cent more
business in radio, both in the complete sets
and in the other parts since the installation of
a nice little stock of the very best of parts. He
is a live wire in every respect and takes advan-
tage of every opportunity to advertise through
his window the fact that "parts for Such and
Such Circuit now appearing in the Daily Whosit
may be purchased here." He has also, through
the agency of a good technical department man,
established quite a reputation as a store where
"information is cheerfully and accurately given
and help is offered at minimum rates."
The Handling of Knockdown Sets
Many of the larger manufacturers of receiving
sets have offered to the dealers complete kits
of knockdown receivers. These kits are sold
at a reasonable price, less the accessories, such
as batteries, tubes, phones, cabinets or speakers,
and it is quite advisable for the music dealer to
carry such kits in stock to appeal to the more
mature fan who wishes to "get a thrill" out of
building his own. When such a sale is made,
however, it is not the general thing to consider
that the buyer will come back to be interested
in a complete set, as when the set is built he
will have a replica of the complete commercial
set, although it may not be as elaborate. Your
tie-up will be between the man who wants a
condenser or a small part. Here is your fertile
field for the future sale of a complete receiver
—do not fail to at least give your sales talk to
such people.
Along this line it is well to segregate the
parts and the complete sets, yet to have them
adjacent to one another so that the most natural
thing to do is walk a few steps and to be in
the complete set department. This can easily
be accomplished by having the parts counter
or department in the rear part of the store and
the complete set department down towards the
front where the customer will have to pass
before gaining the street entrance. The man
or party who buys parts is a fan and a fan is
the party who has made it possible for radio to
be placed on "the map" as it is to-day. He is
willing and always ready to listen, and needs
but a strong talk to make him stop buying the
parts and invest in a complete receiver.
The Reason
There is no doubt but that the live dealer in
music who is carrying radio sets should carry
parts, and every day the fact is impressing the
merchant more strongly by reason of the queries
that he gets. If you cannot afford a large de-
partment carry a small but selected stock of
the best of goods, but you jwill find out that
unless you carry some parts your competitor
with his radio department is taking most of
your "running trade" away from you, as well
as some of your steady clients.
Soward Go. Takes on Radio
DAYTON, O., June 30.—The Soward Music Co.,
of this city, one of the oldest music concerns
in this section of the country, recently opened
a very complete radio department handling the
R. C. A., Freed-Eisemann and A-C lines at the
outset. During the first month the department
produced a very satisfactory volume of busi-
ness, due probably to the fact that experienced
radio men were placed in charge and were able
to handle the customers intelligently.