REPORT 1. (NEW SERIES).

Investigation into Retailers’ Difficulties

Interviewing was carried out between the 18th and 30th of August. A total of 988 alls was made.

An account of the sampling method and the distribution of interviews is given in Appendix A, and the Tables in that Appendix. It will be seen that weighting has been carried out on the basis of the population covered. Reception was friendly, and only 2 refusals were recorded. No mention of the Board of Trade was made.

Three main problems were investigated:-

1. 2. 3.

COUPONS AND SUPPLIES

It will be seen that the answers given in reply to the first question fall into generalised categories.

Two further points must be made:

Question No. 1: “When you present coupons to your wholesalers are they able or unable to give you goods in return?”

Code No.2 . Generally able, no difficulty” was given in 56.3% of all cases. Included here are some 227 (23% of all oases) retailers who stated that they had no difficulty with any line. The replies here yield no correlation either on the size of town, region or air raid experience; e.g. Wolverhampton, with the largest number is the sixth largest town. The returns for Glasgow and Paisley differ widely (68.7% and 33.3% respectively).

Replies in Codes 3 and 4 also varied widely, and it is difficult to suggest reasons for the variations.

Results yielded in Code 4 may be compared with Code 13 in Question 2 (See Table III), where the same answer is given in reply to a more precise question by 44 retailers (i.e. l% only of all cases). The only other notable item in this Table is the large number of Nottingham retailers, 22 (or 22%) who had not tried to obtain goods for coupons.

Comments made by many retailers to Investigators indicated a feeling that the retention of the Quota System alongside the Coupon Ration Scheme led to confusion and difficulties.

Question No. 2 .

“For what lines do you usually have to wait?”

This question was coded under 14 main heading with sub-divisions of the main groups of Men's, Women's, and Children's Clothing.

The main results are given in the Summary Table below. It should be noted that the returns given are numbers of mentions of item coded, and not number of retailers.

It will be seen that in all areas difficulties in obtaining Women's clothing are mentioned more often than difficulties in obtaining men's or children’ clothes.

The items Women's Hosiery, Underwear and Corsets are these occurring most often. In the case of Women's Hosiery, this is mentioned in 27.1% of all Paisley replies; but in only 1 and 2 cases respectively, in Torquay and Taunton.

The only other items to receive a large number of mentions are Men's Hosiery and Underwear (70 and 69). Heavy Woollen material, Shirts, Trousers, Dresses and Children's Knitwear all receive over 40 mentions.

Question 2: “For what lines do you usually have to wait?”

4. 5.

The New clothing cards

This section was devised to make preliminary soundings on the reception of the new clothing cards.

Question 3: “Have you had any of the new coupons presented to you yet from the new clothing cards?”

It will be seen from Table IV that although the general incidence of presentation is higher by nearly 80%, there are marked differences from this in Nottingham (52%), and Paisley (100%).

It must be pointed out that these figures give no indication of the number of new coupons presented nor of the number of persons presenting the new coupons. They indicate only the percentage of retailers in the regions surveyed who have had the cards presented.

Question 4: “Have any of your customers asked you questions about the new coupons yet?”

95 Retailers of the total number visited did not answer Question 4. The Table shows that of the 893 retailers replying about one fifth have had Question 5 put to them.

A comparison of the regional figures in Tables IV, and V Shows that there is no correlation between the incidence of presentation and questioning. Thus Glasgow, with a higher incidence of presentation, has a small percentage of queries. Liverpool, on the other hand, with a smaller than average degree of presentation, leads with Wandsworth in the highest percentage of queries.

The type of questions asked by customers is indicated by the following list:

TABLE VI .

When and where can new cards be obtained?

For how long are old margarine coupons valid?

For how long are the new coupons valid?

Are there special issues of coupons for expectant mothers?

Will margarine coupons in new books be used for clothes?

Can coupons be subdivided to buy goods costing less than 1 coupon?

Retailers indicated that other subjects which caused difficulty were:

“Some people imagine that they require few coupons for a cheap garment.”

“What should the customer do if the old book is lost?”

“Why cannot the ‘X’ coupons be deposited now so that suits can be obtained immediately?”

6.

The Reserved Coupons

An attempt was made to secure an indication of the extent to which the public understood the principle of reserving some of the clothing coupons. Of necessity, this indication was general in nature since retailers were not in a position to give detailed information.

Question 5: “Do your customers in general understand that 20 of these coupons can be used only after January next?”

It will be seen that 74% of all retailers (or 81% of those giving a positive indication) thought that in general their customers understood that some coupons were reserved. A total of 17% of all retailers (or 19% of those giving positive indications) indicated the existence of some doubt on the part of their customers.

Doubt existed most in Liverpool, Wolverhampton and Warrington (which 3 places have more than the average % of retailers notifying questions about the new cards).

7. 8. 9. 10.

The Extent to which Loose Coupons are Offered

It was realised that this Question approached a sphere in which retailers might prove sensitive to enquiry. Two approaches were therefore devised.

The subject was opened by Question 6 in all cases. Where the retailer reacted in such a manner as to suggest that his reply would not be of use the Investigator switched on to the second approach, (Question 10,11 and 12). Where Question 6 was answered normally, and with no suspicion, the Investigator carried on with Question 7,8 and 9.

In only 17 cases was it necessary to switch to the second approach. It may, therefore, be assumed that the bulk of answers to this series of Questions came from co-operative and willing retailers.

Question 6: “when your customers buy rationed goods do they -

In the main bring their books for you to clip?

In the main bring loose coupons?”

It will be seen that the only internal inconsistency in the figures appears in the column for Norwich. This area was surveyed by the investigators who worked in Sheffield, and the inconsistency must therefore reflect a difference in the situation in Norwich itself.

An attempt was made to secure more precise information by asking each retailer to estimate the proportion of his customers offering loose coupons, and the results in the Table below should be correlated in those in the preceding Table.

Question 9:“About what percentage bring loose coupons?”

It will be seen that in Nottingham, Wolverhampton and Wandsworth the results on Question 9 did not bear out the results on Question 6. A considerable number of retailers acknowledge, in fact, the offering of loose coupons on some scale while their answer to Question 6 appears in principle almost to reject this possibility.

The danger of the position in Liverpool is brought out quite clearly in the answers to Question 9, in fact much more sharply than the generalised answer to Question 6 implies. The Warrington figures confirm this impression and seem to indicate that the conditions in Liverpool exist beyond the immediate area of that city.

Norwich and Taunton were selected for some representation of the country town situation. It will be seem that the results do not indicate any similarity. In Norwich the problems assumed considerable proportions, but this is much less so in Taunton.

The figures for Glasgow and Paisley indicate that the general situation is rather similar, and on the whole are better than the weighted average for the whole sample.

Why are loose coupons offered?

Question 7: “Do you think that in general customers prefer one rather than another - Books, or Loose Coupons?”

It will be seen that approximately 32% (Cases 2.3 and 4) indicated a preferences on the part of their customers for loess coupons. This is most marked in Liverpool and Warrington. After which areas, Sheffield, Wandsworth and Norwich were somewhat above the weighted average for the sample.

Question 8: “If loose coupons are preferred what is the reason for this?”

The weighted average for the various codes in this Question have been recalculated on the basis of positive answers to this Question so as to bring out more sharply the relative importance of the various reasons offered.

It will be seen that some 37% of those offering specific reasons mentioned practical convenience (codes 2 and 3). This is most marked In Liverpool, Warrington, Norwich and Sheffield.

Some 22% (codes 4 and 5) of those offering specific reasons mentioned difficulties arising out of the fact that the book was used for other rationed goods. This was most marked in Norwich and Sheffield.

It should be pointed out that both these reasons (codes 2,3,4 and 5) become invalid with the issue of the new clothing cards. If, therefore, the reasons advanced are genuine the issue of the new cards should dispose of nearly 60% of the reasons for preferring loose coupons.

11.

The Distribution of the Sample

The Table below indicates the actual dispersion of calls and sampling factor per thousand shops which this involves.

It should be pointed out that the original proposed sampling factor was uniform for all areas. However, the necessity for securing a stated minimum of calls in all areas, coupled with the impossibility, through air raid destruction, of securing the original quote in some areas, forced some variation.

No reliable estimates of the number of shops in the country, or even in those towns covered, is available. It is therefore not possible to quote a sampling factor for shops. From our Investigators’ reports, however, it was obvious that the sample include a high proportion of the shops dealing in the merchandise covered by the Coupon Schemes. In several cases all the shops in the town dealing with the commodities in question were investigated. The sample in these areas therefore is very nearly a census of the section of the trade concerned.

12. 13.

Analysis of the Sample

A breakdown of the dispersion of the sample between the various types and sizes of shops is made below.

It will be seen from Table 1 (a) that there is a close correlation for every region between the dispersion of calls in small shops, and dispersion of all calls.

It will be seen that there is close correlation region by region of the dispersion of cells in private shops, and all cells.

Weighting .

Since the sampling factor varied for the areas covered, it was felt that a more correct picture would be given by basing weights upon the respective populations of the towns. This has been done.

The sample is not presented as a reflection of the rational picture. The areas selected for investigation were picked by a Board of Trade, and the total weighted figure is therefore a Summary only of the town investigated , and not a national figure.

14. 15.

THE WAR THE SOCIAL SURVEY

No. of Inquiry: New Series 1.

Investigation into Retailers’ Difficulties

NAME ... TOWN DATE

ADDRESS ...

1. When you present coupons to your wholesalers are they able or unable to give you goods in return?

2. For what kind of lines do you usually have to wait?

3. Have you had any of the new coupons presented to you yet from the new clothing cards?

4. Have any of your customers asked you questions about the new coupons yet?

4a. If yes, what questions are they asking?

5. Do your customers in general understand that 20 of these coupons can only be used after January next?

6. When your customers buy rationed goods do they:-

In the main bring their books for you to clip _____

In the main bring loose coupons _____

7. Do you think that in general customers prefer one rather than another Books _____ Loose coupons ______

8. If loose coupons what is the chief reason for this?

9. About what percentage bring loose coupons_____

10. Do you think that your customers would prefer to present loose coupons? Yes_____ No_____

What is the chief reason for this_____

11. Would you rather that they could? Yes_____ No_____

Why_____

12. About what percentage bring loose coupons to you_____ Comments made by Interviewee on Textile Rationing or difficulties arising out of it

Interviewer's comments.

Interviewer's signature...

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