A RETAIL REVOLUTION

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1930, Page 6

A RETAIL REVOLUTION

GROCER. AS UNIVERSAL

PROVIDER

CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 14

“One very interesting phase of modern life in Canada and America,” Mr John Montgomery said yesterday on bis return from . America, “is the growing importance of the grocer and elimination of other sources of hoiiiseliokl supplies. Even the butcher, the greengrocer, and the dairyman are threatened with reduced output. This is due to the prevalence ol the refrigerated chamber in nearly every household, enabled supplies of perishable foods to be kept for long periods; consequently the grocer is able to supply meat, fish, cream, and even vegetables frozen by the ‘quick freeze’ process in cartons, and the housewife need only get her supplies in once a week.

“It is very difficult to say how far the new pha.se will go, but whilst we are well acquainted with frozen meat and fish, I found it hard to realise that the ‘quick freeze’ strawberries, raspberries, peas, beans, and cream which I was given to eat in Canada were not fresh products instead of last season’s growth. The process is only in its infancy, but one can see from it its advantages '.that it may have far-reach-illg effects even in New Zealand.

“Take, for instance, frozen meat. The animal is cut up into slices suitable for cooking immediately it is killed, arid the slices are pocked in cartons and frozen quickly. The housewife buys a carton of, say, lamb chops at her grocer’s; she has> no waste meat, no loss of meat through hot weather; she cooks only what her family can eat at one mea.l; there is no cold meat left over. The problem of what to do with the cold leg of mutton is solved. There is not any!

“Again, from the point of view of the producer and packer, the cost of the freight is less, as the; meat is packed into smaller space. The bones are kept back for fertilisers, and.the trimmings are used for preserved meats. The extra cost of the cartons is met by the above savings. “Frozen raspberries are better flavour than bottled raspberries, and don’t require expensive bottles., The grocer simply bands thorn over the counter in cartons and can compete with the fruiterer, as his product never perishes, whereas the fruiterer always has to add a large profit to cover his loss through deterioration. “The evolution of the grocer as the sole provider of the kitchen may possibly enable New Zealand growers to export to other countries various perishable products which, are admittedly ■pre-eminent, owing to our very favourable climatic and soil conditions.”