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 and 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 and government buying, chain stores, chain stores by name, health food stores, retail stores, supermarkets, product guarantees and warranties, labelling, formula and informative labelling, misleading and illegible labelling, quality of big business merchandise, labelling, standards and specifications, misleading grades for labels, mail order selling certification and accreditation of laboratories, stupidity and incompetence of manufacturers and 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.