THE SURVEY of March 29 printed a letter from me telling of a problem
with regard to Saturday afternoon summer closing. A St. Louis department
store (one of a chain of stores established in various cities under one
firm) kept open all last summer on Saturday afternoons. The president of
the corporation told representatives of the Consumers’ League that the
stock-holders would never consent to Saturday closing because a great
bulk of business was done in the men’s furnishing department at this
time, the only time men have for shopping.
A few weeks ago the Consumers’ League laid their problem before the
Central Council of Social Agencies. The trades unions sent the firm word
of their objection to the custom of remaining open Saturday afternoons
during the summer months. The Retailers’ Association added their
protest.
A committee from the Central Council called on the corporation
president. He gave this committee the same negative answer that the
Consumers’ League Committee had received. But the dismissal was not
final. Soon he sent for the Central Council Committee to return. He gave
them the news that the store would close Saturday afternoons during the
summer months, as is the custom of all other large St. Louis department
stores. He said that the firm had always done all in its power for its
employes and, as it was agreed that keeping open Saturday afternoons was
not consistent with the best welfare of the employes, the store would
close at that time. Of course the contention that closing Saturday
afternoons would deprive men of their shopping time and would only
increase night shopping remains unanswered.
At any rate, the fear that other department stores might follow the
example set by this particular one is banished.