THE LURE OF THE MOTOR SHOP.
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How New Housing Colonies Havel Encouraged Itinerant Traders.
SINCE housing colonies have sprung up in the environs of all large towns and cities, somewhat off the beaten track of local transport facilities, such as are provided by municipal corporation tramway and motor-omnibus undertakings, an increasing trade is •being done by enterprising vendors of household articles employing light motors to exhibit a shop-like display of goods, especially foodstuffs, to the residents of suburbia. Local housing authorities in their zest to erect dwellings have somewhat neglected to provide these new housing districts with retail shops, and, inevitably, the occupants of the houses either have to walk to-the nearest shopping centre (which may occupy half an hour), or send their orders through the post, to be delivered, say, by multipleshop firms whose business is largely built up by the readiness with which they are able to deliver the goods. Around Liverpool a series >of new housing estates is being developed, and a number of itinerantgetailers, equipped with motors, make daily rounds of these areas, offering residents-the same service as they could get at the nearest shop. For instance, the hardware man one day a week visits each locality; another day the fishmonger; another day the boot repairer, and ;so. on.IT In the aggregate, quite a big business! is dons ;
mariner.
One of the latest enterprisesi in the direct supply of household necessities is that of Treacle Supplies, Ltd., of Liver pool, who have a small fleet of Fordmotor tankers, which hold 1 ton of treacle in a large tank, and in the two small tanks (one on each side), which run longitudinally, 2 cwt. a syrup. Treacle is sold "on draught" from the motor at 6d. per pint, whilst at the shops it is 11d. per 2-lb. :tin, syrup 9v1, ?er pint, compared with is. 2d. per 2-1b. tin at the various, retailers' shops.
These motors work an area of about 40 miles radius from Liverpool, and the average daily mileage of each vehicle is about 60. The motors visit the various streets of the city in turn, and their presence is announced by the clanging of a bell.