The classification according to class of trade was necessarily some-
what arbitrary, but for certain purposes it has been possible to secure
a reasonable basis of comparison. A variety of factors was taken into
account, such as the character of the district in which the shop was
situated ; the method of trading, ¢.e., whether cash, credit, counter,
or delivery ; and the nature of the stocks carried. On this basis, the
trade of about 10 per cent. of the shops has been classified as * high ” :
80 per cent. as ““ middle ”’, and 30 per cent. as low ”’
IL—TYPES OF BUTTER STOCKED.
Bulk and Packeted.
The term * Packeted Butter ” is used throughout this report to
refer to butter sold in packets bearing a proprietary name or brand ;
the term thus includes all packeted butter whether blended or not.
Packeted butter as thus defined was bought by the retailer in
packeted form, except in the case of co-operatives and a few multiple
organisations where the packeting was done at the central warehouses.
During the course of the enquiry, 58 different brands of packeted
butter were encountered, but these varied greatly in the extent of
their distribution and sales. One brand was found in over 200 shops,
and another in 135 shops.
TABLE 2.—Percentage of Shops in Each Area stocking Bulk and
Packeted Butters.
Area.
_ondon on _— we
3ristol and South Wales ..
3irmingham Se
_iverpool .. ‘ce
Manchester . .
Yorkshire ..
Scotland
All Areas }
Bulk onlv.
47
82
54
76
77
75
73
3G
Bulk
and
Packeted.
25
16
‘n
i
20
29
J
0
Packeted only.
28
2
3
16
>
10}
Ty