Operations of Central Market

Central Market occupied a part of a block of downtown Cleveland near the east end of the Carnegie-Lorain Bridge, bounded by Ontario Street, Bolivar Road, East Fourth Street, and Eagle Avenue (fig. 3). This site is about three blocks from the Public Square, near the center of the downtown shopping area of the city. Numerous streetcar and bus lines pass the market and traverse streets within a few blocks of the market. Between the Public Square and the market are several of Cleveland’s important department stores, selling all kinds of commodities at retail. A cold storage warehouse is on Bolivar Road within a block of Central Market.

Description of the Market

The Central Market Building, approximately 360 feet long and 48 feet wide, was built of wood and had high ceilings supported by structural iron beams (fig. 1). The building had 9 entrances. Two entrances, each about 6 feet wide, were located at the south end of the building and formed the entrance into the aisles running north and south through the building. At the north end of the building there was only one entrance, 10 feet wide. Three entrances, 6 feet wide, was on the east and west sides of the building and formed the entrance into aisles running east and west in the building. The latter aisles divided the space in the building into 4 sections of about equal size. Inside the market building there were 143 stalls. Figure 3 shows the layout of these stalls. The size of individual stalls varied from 50 to 70 square feet, and the length of stall counters varied from 7 to 10 feet. Retail dealers selling merchandise in stalls raced aisles of about 60 feet in width which separated the center stalls from those along the sides of the building.

Outside the building a sidewalk extended 10 feet 6 inches to the curb line on the east, west, and north sides. A tin roof canopy extended from the building proper to slightly beyond the edge of the sidewalk. At the south end of the building a sidewalk of irregular width extended to the curb. This sidewalk was about 22 feet in depth at the west corner of the building and approximately 37 feet in depth near the east corner. On the outer edge of these sidewalk were 104 stands. Most of the dealers in outside stands had a tarpaulin which could be lowered from the edge of the root to the curb to give protection during bad weather. On the east, north, and west side of the building the outside stands occupied about 3 feet 6 inches of sidewalk space to the curb line, which left about 7 feet of sidewalk space between the stands and the building. Wooden platforms, 3 feet wide, were built into the street at curb level behind the stands. This was the only space allotted to retail dealers occupying the stands for the storage, preparation, and sale of their produce. During nonmarket days these wooden platforms were moved to the sidewalk to release the street apace for movement of traffic.

Most of the dealers renting outside stands followed the practice of stacking merchandise on the street. These piles of merchandise, extending from 6 to 8 feet beyond the wooden platforms, made it impossible for vehicles to pass between them and the streetcars passing along East Fourth Street. Like the stalls inside the market these sidewalk stands varied in size. Including the counter and platform, most stands had a depth of 6 feet, and the counter width was from 6 to 10 feet.

The office of the market master was on the mezzanine floor, about 150 feet from the north end of the building near one of the east and west aisles. Wash rooms and public toilets for the use of tenants and customers in the market also were on the mezzanine.

Retail Dealers of Central Market

Central Market had been in operation for more than 80 years. Many of the retail dealers bad operated within the market for 50 years prior to its burning, and some of the buyers had patronized these dealers throughout this period. Although the city is as well serviced as most others of comparable size by independent and chain retail food stores, a large number of consumers in the area preferred to buy at Central Market.

Central Market was open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of each week. On Tuesdays and Thursdays selling hours were from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dealers were allowed to remain an extra hour to close their stands. On Saturdays the market was open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Few dealers either inside or outside the market building were ready for business at the opening hour. Usually they did not open their places of business until 7 or 7:30 a.m. There was no set time at which dealers actually closed their stands at the end of a market day. Many of them followed the practice of closing at any time from 12 until 3 p.m., the exact time depending upon whether their stocks were sold out and whether customers continued to come to their places of business. Outside dealers were very irregular in their selling days on the market and the hours of selling. Only about one-half of the stands outside the building operated the full 3-day week during the entire year. Some did not sell at all during winter months because of the cold weather, and 17 outside dealers never opened their stands except on Saturdays.

Within the market building 101 independent dealers occupied 143 stalls. Of these dealers, 70 sold fresh and cured meats and meat products; 2, dressed poultry exclusively; 6, groceries and grocery specialty items; 8, baked goods; 9, butter, cheese, and eggs; 3, fresh and cured fish; 2, meats and poultry; and 1, candy, peanuts, and soft drinks. Of these dealers, 62 used single stalls; 33, 2 stalls each; 3, space equivalent to slightly more than 1 1/2 stalls each; 2, 3 stalls each; and 1, 4 stalls.

Ninety inside dealers, who were interviewed, reported regular employment of 150 persons, including the proprietors, and 82 extra employees working on Saturdays and preholidays. For the 11 dealers who were not interviewed, it was estimated that they used 18 regular and 10 part-time employees.

Fifteen of the 101 inside dealers also rented stalls at the West Side Market, where the market days are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of each week. Several dealers were engaged in wholesale end retail businesses at other locations in the city. Another dealer was a restaurant purveyor, and still another operated a restaurant and bakery in downtown Cleveland. On those week days when Central Market was closed, other dealers employed their time in cleaning stands, buying supplies, cutting meats, making sausage, or otherwise preparing food products for selling on market days.

Only 19 dealers made a practice of hauling supplies in their own or hired trucks; 12 reported the use of personal automobiles for emergency transportation of supplies for caking deliveries. The remainder depended on wholesale suppliers to deliver their purchases to Central Market.

Fresh fruits and vegetables constituted the major portion of the business done in stands outside of the building. The 104 outside stands were used by 80 independent retail dealers, of which 74 sold fruits and vegetables exclusively; 1 handled eggs only; 2, vegetables and eggs; 1, dried fruits, nuts, dried beans, and cereals; l dealer specialized in honey, eggs, plants, and seeds; and 1 sold candies exclusively. Outside the market building 47 dealers rented single stalls, 26 rented 2 stands each, 5 rented space equal to about 1 1/2 stands, and 2 dealers rented space equivalent to 3 stands. Outside dealers employed 140 regular workers and 65 extra hands on Saturdays and preholiday work days.

Among the 80 dealers renting outside stands, 17 reported they also sold at West Side Market. Many others stated that their time on days when Central Market was closed was spent in purchasing supplies or working in wholesale or retail vegetable stores owned by themselves or by relatives.

Dealers renting stands outside the market building owned 66 trucks which were used in hauling supplies to Central Market. Two other dealers used personally owned automobiles, and 1 employed a pushcart in transportation supplies to the market. The remainder had their supplies hauled to them.

Volume of Business

Central Market offered to the retail shopper a place where at one stop a rather complete line of foodstuffs could be purchased. The total volume of retail sales inside and outside the market amounted to well over $5,000,000 in 1946. Fresh and processed meats accounted for the largest part of the business both in volume and dollar sales, fruits and vegetables being second in volume. Also, large quantities of butter, cheese, eggs, poultry, groceries, fresh and cured fish, and other edibles were handled which amounted to a sizable tonnage and dollar value.

Patrons of Central Market

In previous studies of the market by municipal committees and by independent groups, reference has been made to the large number of people who traded at Central Market. In order to determine the number of people visiting Central Market on representative market days, counts were made on Saturday May 3, Tuesday May 6, and Thursday May 8, 1947, for 10-minute periods each hour during which the market was in operation. On the basis of these counts, it was estimated that 30,389 people visited the market on Saturday May 3; 5,820 on Tuesday May 6; and 5,090 on Thursday May 8.

To find out why these buyers patronized the market, 509 customers were interviewed. Of the patrons interviewed, 62 percent resided in the eastern section of the city,^[1] 18 percent in the West Side, 2 percent in the South, 15 percent in the Southeast, and 3 percent in towns outside metropolitan Cleveland.

Patrons interviewed were asked what mode of travel they used to and from the market. Of the number answering this question, 68 percent used public transportation, 27 percent regularly came in their awn automobiles, 3 percent sometimes used their automobiles and at other times used public transportation, and 2 percent walked from their homes to the market. Of the patrons driving automobiles to the market, only 25 percent made regular use of parking lots near Central Market, 50 percent always parked on the street, and the remaining 25 percent used parking lots at times and public streets at other times. Many people answering this question said they had great difficulty in finding places near the market to park their cars, and some stated they regularly drove their car around the block several times while a member of the party shopped in Central Market.

Each customer interviewed was asked the number of years he had patronized Central Market. Approximately 50 percent had been shopping there for over 20 years. Many said they had used the market for as long as 40 to 50 years. Approximately 30 percent had been regular customers tram 10 to 20 years; 9 percent, from 5 to 10 years; and 10 percent, from 1 to 5 years. Those indicating they had been coming to Central Market for less then 1 year accounted for less than 1 percent of all patrons interviewed.

Patrons gave three reasons for buying at Central Market: Lover prices, better quality, and a wider selection of food products. Many said all three reasons influenced them to trade there.

Of the patrons interviewed, 78 percent stated they made a special trip to Central Market to buy food. The other 22 percent did not make a special trip for this purpose.

In transverse to the question, “When shopping in Central Market, do you also go into downtown stores,” 47 percent of the buyers interviewed answered yes, 30 percent said they did not shop at downtown stores, 13 percent qualified their answer by adding that they visited retail stores occasionally, and about 10 percent interviewed failed to answer.

In answer to the question, “If Central Market were moved to another location, would you still buy food there,” about 80 percent answered yes, and the remaining 20 percent qualified by saying they would continue to patronize it in a new location only if centrally located and if public transportation were immediately available.

To the question, “If Central Market were no longer at its present location, would you still come downtown to buy nonfood items,” approximately 98 percent replied in the affirmative. In answer to the question, “Do you think the city of Cleveland should build a new market,” 90 percent said yes, 9 percent said they did not think the city should build a new market as higher taxes and higher food prices would result, and a few stated they thought the city could get along without Central Market.

Patrons of Central Market were asked to suggest a new location for the market. All replied the new market should be located in downtown Cleveland. A few recommended that it be located away from a street on which heavy traffic prevailed but near public transportation and parking areas.

Services Rendered by Dealers in Central Market

Without a close study of its operation, a person would wonder how Central Market was able to survive the competition of super markets and other retail markets where modern methods of merchandising were being used, especially since the market building was of very poor construction and would not be expected to attract sellers and buyers of food. However, a close study of the operations of dealers and of buyers brought out some important reasons for the existence of the market.

Dealers in Central Market offered to consumers a very wide variety of commodities, and many different qualities and grades of each type of commodity. Certain items or grades of commodities could be found in Central Market on any market day that could not be found in some of the retail stores in the city. Some unusual and seldom-procured items were offered for sale on almost all market days. If a buyer did not find a particular commodity on a market day, he could usually leave an order for it for the following market day, if the product were in season and available.

Most dealers in Central Market were expert merchandisers of the food products they handled. They cut and trimmed the meat of other product to the satisfaction of the buyer. The dealer knew many of his customers and endeavored to give each one the service he wanted.

A comparison of prices in Central Market with prices in certain large retail stores on a few of the basic food commodities, such as meat, potatoes, citrus fruit, and butter shoved very little difference. However, it was difficult to make true price comparisons because dealers in Central Market generally trimmed the product closer, cut it especially to meet the requirements of the customers, or performed some other special service. Most dealers in fruits and vegetables generally handled a large volume of products which they procured on the principal wholesale market at a reduced price because the commodity was too ripe to be placed in regular wholesale channels. However, this produce was possibly more palatable than some produce procured through a regular retail market.