Get the scoop on how bulk grocery systems were marketed during World War I

Can a particular kind of retail furniture help grocers save money and prevent food waste? In a World War I era trade catalog, Sherer-Gillett Co. promotes a piece of furniture designed for grocers to install in their stores. It was called the Sherer Counter, a bulk food storage system described as a way to cut down on waste and help with the war effort.

Let’s take a closer look at how Sherer-Gillett Co. encouraged the use of this counter for grocery stores. As shown below, the front cover of this catalog includes a quote by the U.S. Food Administration encouraging people to buy food with thought.

Then as we open this 1918 catalog, we are greeted with a quote by Sherer-Gillett Co. It also appears to be the title of the catalog. It reads, “buy food by the pound-not by the package.” This leads us to believe that Sherer-Gillett Co. encouraged the purchasing of food in bulk.

In these introductory pages, we discover this catalog appears to be focused on preventing food from being wasted and saving money for both the customer and grocer. To accomplish this, Sherer-Gillett Co. suggested food be sold and bought in bulk. The catalog mentions that food was frequently bought by the package but suggests dry goods might be suitable to sell by the pound. Some examples include cereals, dried fruits, crackers, cookies, beans, peas, and other similar types of food. However, the catalog also acknowledges the fact that some products, such as liquids and perishable foods, are more easily bought by the package.

To encourage the installation of the Sherer Counter, Sherer-Gillett Co. introduced a publicity campaign in collaboration with the Knight Co. of Chicago. Advertisements ran in grocer trade journals, and some are included in this catalog. These particular advertisements included a catchy title with a related illustration and an image of the Sherer Counter. These ads also encouraged the reader to request more information.

The purpose of the advertising campaign was to direct people’s attention to the idea of “saving” and encourage the use of the Sherer Counter for doing that very thing. According to this catalog, installing the Sherer Counter “helps save waste for the Dealer and the Consumer, and so—for the Nation. And if for the Nation, it helps win the war!”

One advertisement begins with the phrase, “Don’t Spill the Beans!” It shows a trail of beans leading from a bag on the floor to a counter where beans are being weighed on a scale. As the beans are weighed, more beans are spilling onto the floor. This advertisement points out that if the grocer installed a Sherer Counter, the beans would be stored in “close-to-the-scale, tight-fitting, glass-front drawers” which might prevent beans from spilling onto the floor while being transferred from bag to scale.

Alexia MacClain is a Library Technician at the National Museum of American History Library. She began working for Smithsonian Libraries and Archives on the trade literature inventory project in 2005. In 2007, Alexia moved on to her current position as Library Technician. She continues to work with the Trade Literature Collection in addition to handling other library duties including interlibrary loan. Alexia holds a B.A. in Historic Preservation from Mary Washington College.

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