40. Merchandise Marketing,, 1913-1980

Summary: Documents CR's interest in the sale, quality and standards of consumer goods and services. Merchandise marketing covers brand names, the buying of goods, labelling, mail order, manufacturing & retail, market surveys, packaging and selling. Includes correspondence, newspaper and magazine clippings, trade, industry and scientific journal articles and other publications. Subjects include brands, private brands, uniformity and non-uniformity of brands, general buying, credit buying, credit cards, discount buying, installment buying, institutional & government buying, chain stores, chain stores by name, health food stores, retail stores, supermarkets, product guarantees & warranties, labelling, formula & informative labelling, misleading & illegible labelling, quality of big business merchandise, labelling, standards & specifications, misleading grades for labels, mail order selling certification & accreditation of laboratories, stupidity & incompetence of manufacturers & retailers, low quality of consumer goods, failure of manufacturers to correct defects, manufacturers mistakes, market surveys, movies, packaging, aerosol spray packages, deceptive packaging, packaging debris, selling-department stores, department store testing, low grade goods canvassers, retail selling, sales tactics, trading stamps, swimming pools, travel, camping and international buying.