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Uncle Sam Reports on
RETAIL DISTRIBUTION OF
G
O O D old Boston is the only city in the United phonographs and records .11; all other musical instruments
States that prefers its music straight, if the reports .01; variety stores of the five and ten cent and up to a dol-
released by the United States Department of Com- lar type do 2.16 per cent of their business in sheet music,
merce and covering the census of retail distribution music rolls and records, while sporting goods stores report
for 1930 are to be accepted at face value.
In short, the 4.30 of their sales as representing musical goods.
music stores of the country, in the census, are divided into
While it is manifestly impossible for lack of space to print
two classes, those without radio and those with radio. In the figures covering retail music store distribution as reported
every city, with the single exception of Boston, the music for several hundred cities and towns, T H E REVIEW presents
stores handling radio do the bulk of the business, sometimes herewith the figures for thirty-one of the largest cities in
ninety per cent of it, but in the Hub music stores without order of population. Houston, Texas, rightfully belongs in
radio handled $4,275,436 in sales during 1929, or 19.7 per the list from the standpoint of population following Port-
cent more than the stores which included radio. This is just land, Ore., but unfortunately the government figures show
one piece of information that can be drawn from the census no breakdown of the types of music stores for comparison
figures.
purposes.
The census of distribution of 1930, embracing sales and
Let us look at the report as it covers the thirty-one cities.
cost figures for the year 1929, is the most extensive ever New York was first in net sales of musical instruments and
undertaken by the Bureau of the Census. Preliminary re- radio for 1929 with a total of $79,120,002 while Chicago
ports covering retail distribution in several hundred cities and was a poor second with net sales of $18,576,035 and Los
towns have been released thus far this year, and final figures Angeles third with $17,647,091, these figures covering all
are now available for Washington, D. C , Mid one or two types of music stores. In business done by music stores with-
other cities. The preliminary figures have also been com- out radio, New York stands first again with net sales of
piled for release in State units, all of which will be avail- $7,707,117, Boston second with $4,275,436 and Chicago
able before the end of the year. Although the preliminary third with $2,945,697.
reports cover only the number of stores, the number of em-
In the number of stores New York again stands first with
ployes, net sales for 1929, stocks on hand on January 1, a total of 1,509 of both classes, Philadelphia being second
1930, and totals of wages and salaries, the final reports when with 422, Los Angeles third with 324, and Chicago fourth
completed will offer much other information of great value with 271. In the matter of service to music-loving citizens,
such as the proportions of business done for cash, on open however, Oakland, Cal., stands first with one music store to
account and on instalments, rental costs in proportion of every 2,842 of the population, San Francisco being second
sales, the division of full and part-time employes w T ith their with one store to every 3,546. In this classification Chicago
payrolls, the listing of other expenses, and the division of is low with one store to every 12,863 persons, with New Or-
sales of various products by different types of stores. For leans being second low with one store for every 12,319.
instance, in the Washington report—the first to be com-
In New York 4,687 sales people were employed full or
pleted—the sales made by radio and music stores are divided part time in music stores in 1929, in Los Angeles 1,833 were
as follows: for eighteen stores total net sales $3,179,679:
employed, and in Chicago 1,560. The wages paid these
Automotive parts
29
employes also varied much as did the other figures in the
Tires, tubes, etc
12
census, in Chicago the average wage or salary for em-
Batteries
• •
25
ployes of music stores without radio was $2,008, and for
Miscellaneous men's furnishings
44
radio and music stores $2,068. For straight music stores
Electrical household appliances
38
Cincinnati stood first in line in the matter of salaries with
Furniture
1.40
an average of $2,262, Cleveland being second with an aver-
age of $2,101, while St. Louis was low with $521. For radio
Gasoline
07
and music stores Buffalo led with an average of $2,085,
Electric and gas refrigerators
_
.
96
Louisville being low with $1,422.
Pianos—player pianos . . . . 26.33
Concerning average sales per
Phonographs and records.. 5.27 »•>»»»»». . - ^ „*•*,*, ,•• w ,,,,*.,,,,,,*,•.,*
music store without radio during
Musical instruments
1.32
Sheet music, etc
2.77 What the U. S. Census of Retail 1929 Boston was first with $104,-
279, New Orleans being the low
Radio sets
53.18
Radio parts and accessories 5.68 Distribution Offers of Interest to in this division with $5,874. For
Repairs and service
1.54 theMusicTradesman—a Compila- radio and music stores Chicago
led with average net sales per
In addition department store
sales of musical instruments and flOn C o v e r i n g Thirty-One of t h e
store of
radios in proportion to total sales
low with $26,116.
are as follows: radio sets 1.84;
4
.
.
•
L a r g e s t CltieS in t h e C o u n t r y
T H E M U S I C
TRADE
$90,874, St. Louis being
(Please turn to page 20)
REVIEW,
August, 1931