Merchandising Institute Program Well Under \(/ay

Reports on the sales development program of the Merchandising Institute of National Retail Lumber Dealers Association show that the program is now well u,nder way. Plans for the pretiminary field study were approved by the Merchandising Institute early in August, a-nd the study itself started immediately. Field representatives have already covered some sections of the country in their work of collecting data on successful selling methods. Even at this date, their reports indicate that the study will produce valuable information on all types of selling operations.

"As this whole program is planned by and for dealers" says Hawley W. Wilbur, President of the Merchandising Institute, "the field study is naturally aimed at securing first-hand information on actual dealer methods and problems. Trade-Ways field men are calling on representative dealer3 in every section of the country and discussing the various phases of each local situation.

"More than that, they are studying every type of dealer operation-from yards that secure most of their business from contractors and builders, to dealers who engage in varying degrees of unit selling. That's because we intend to develop a program that will be completely practicalone which will contain as much help for one type of dealer as for another. And to do that, we've got to study every kind of selling operation now existing in the industry.

"In addition to discussing these and other basic questions with dealers, the field men are supplementing the picture with the views of other factors in the industry. They are interviewing secretaries of regional and state retail associations, of manufacturers' associations, and the lumber and building material manufacturers themselves, to get the benefit of their viewpoint on the dealer's sales problems, and their experience in helping him to overcome them. That's why we feel that when this study is completed we will have just about the most comprehensive collection of facts about sales practices ever assembled in this industrv."

Albe* L. Jurden

Albert L. Jurden, retired, passed away at his home in Los Angeles, September 26. He was 72 years of age and had been a resident of Los Angeles for 4O years.

Mr. Jurden had been associated with Montgomery & Mullin Lumber Co. for many years, and later with the Hammond Lumber Company, retiring about ten years ago. He was a Mason and Shriner. His wife, a son and daughter, and two sisters survive him. Funeral services were held on September 28.