Page 8-B
Researchers Study Couponing By A Random Sampling Os Habits 1
4 By Bob Cairns
'' Armed with her trusty
Karen Steudel
spends Thursday mornings
the food sections of
the Raleigh area newspapers.
' Karen is in search of
doupons-the American
housewife’s hedge against
inflation.
“Virtually every nationally
advertised food product in
America offers cost reduction
coupons,” said Dr. J.W.
Levedahl, assistant professor
Os economics at North
Carolina State University.
But according to Levedahl,
coupons, which can offer
anywhere from three cents to
more than a dollar reduction
on the price of a product,
aren’t necessarily a manufac
turer’s gift to the consumer.
A Research project on
couponing conducted by
Levedahl at NCSU asked an
important question about
Mrs. Steudel’s favorite indoor
sport: When a shopper with a
Tree Planting Is Increased
ATLANTA—Suffering the
pangs of recession more than
most industries, southern
forest based companies show
ed a firm faith in the future
during the 1961-82 tree plan
ting season.
Almost a billion trees
-967,847,219--were rep rted
planted by forest industry
firms in the Southern Forest
Institute’s annual survey. The
figures represent an increase
of 14% more than the planting
rate ten years ago.
SFI began the survey of
trees planted by industry on
its own and on other private
lands in 1948, when 26 million
trees were put in the ground.
Over the years many
•millions of these seedlings
have gone to nonindustrial
tree farmers who practice
forest management on their
own lands.
“People in the forest
business are used to looking
ahead,” said Jim Mont
gomery, SFl’s executive vice
president. “It takes years to
grow a tree for paper and
lumber or plywood. Even in
these tough times they know
people a generation from now
are going to need more homes
and papers and all the other
things that come from trees.”
“You can’t wait until you
heed it to plant a tree,” he
added.
The figures do not include
acres planted by direct
seeding or those which were
prepared for natural
regeneration without plan
ting. They also do not account
for seedlings grown on state
owned nurseries planted on
Mai Fraud Figure Gets 100-Year Jai Term
Three Ohio residents who
swindled individuals and
companies out of thousands of
dollars have learned that tak
ing part in a mail fraud
scheme has a high price for
those convicted, especially if
they’ve done it before.
Henry Daniel Stull, Sr., 61,
has been sentenced to 100
years in jail and ordered to
pay a $20,000 fine. His son,
Henry Daniel Stull, Jr., 40,
was sentenced to 50 years in
prison and Patricia L. Moora
dian, 34, got a 20 year
sentence.
The three, all from
Cleveland, were found guilty
last Fall of selling phoney
work-at-home courses they
claimed would lead graduates
to become mortage of finan
cial brokers, and of
fraudulently obtaining expen
sive office equipment, sup
plies, advertising services
and other merchandise from
companies in several states
and Canada. None of the
equipment was ever paid for.
The Stulls claimed those
enrolled in their course for
brokers would be associated
With a company with 100
years of finacial experience,
capable of funding loans up to
$45 million, and that they
operated 1,000 offices world
wide-one of them located on
Wall Street in New York City,
the other in Geneva,
Switzerland. Postal Inspec
t*s found the Wall Street and
Geneva “offices” were only
part of a telephone service,
and there was no money
available for loans.
tovertigation^by
coupon saves, who pays?
When a product is couponed
the difference in cost is
reflected in the retail price
paid by both users and non
users of coupons,” Levedahl
said.
By offering a coupon deal
(say 10 cents off) on the pro
duct, the company is able to
segment its market.
“Instead of one group of
customers buying the brand
and paying a single price, you
now have two groups paying
two different prices,”
Levedahl said.
Group one, people who are
loyal to their favorite (higher
priced) brand will continue to
buy it eyen when they don’t
have a coupon. These people
pay a higher price, he
explained.
“But the second group,
those cost-conscious shoppers
who may not ordinarily pur
chase the item, now have a
coupon. So instead of purchas
ing a cheaper private label or
generic brand, they’ll use the
other than industry lands.
More than half the seedlings
planted were grown on com
pany nurseries.
A majority of the pine
seedlings reported grew from
seeds of superior trees as part
of southern forestry’s continu
ing genetic improvement pro
gram. They can be expected
to grow faster, straighter and
be more resistant to fire and
disease than run-of-the-woods
trees, Montgomery said.
While industry forests and
those of tree farmers are be
ing well managed for
repeated crops of trees, he
said, they represent only a
small fraction of the forest
acreage in the South. Private,
nonindustrial owners hold
almost three-quarters of the
southern forest.
“The South,” said Mont
gomery, “can grow the in
creased wood the nation is go
ing to need; and it can be a
major factor in meeting world
wood and paper needs. But in
dustry can’t do it on its lands
alone. If the South is to meet
its potential, good forest
management must make
sense to these landowners
who aren’t now practicing
forestry.”
Southern Forest Institute,
with offices in Atlanta, is
adivision of the America
Forest Institute, head
quartered in Washington,
D.C. The information and
education arm of the forest
products industry, the In
stitute sponsors the American
Tree Farm System to en
courage management of
private timberlands.
* their operation, the Stulls took
in nearly $300,000 in advance
r fees for loans and course fees,
but no arrangements for loan
applications were ever com
pleted. The Stulls also
promised an “iron-clad, full
refund guarantee” for those
who paid $95 to enroll in the
i course and weren’t satisfied,
' but inspectors say no money
was ever refunded.
Under the name Skipper’s
Discount Company, the Stulls’
mail fraud scheme also in
volved ordering business
machines, safes, typewriters,
paperback bodes, photocopy
paper, envelopes, filet mignon
steaks and the lease of an
automobile. The car was
i repossessed, but none of the
other merchandise or sup
plies were recovered.
In 1974 the Stulls were con
victed and sentenced to five
years in prison and five years
i probation for using the name
> of a legitimate Cleveland
' company, Independent Sales,
to obtain expensive equip
■ ment, supplies and other mer
chandise. Susequently, the
I elder Stull served 18 months
i of the sentence. The younger
, Stull spent eight years in die
> state penitentiary at Marion,
' Illinois, and during that time,
- Postal Inspectors say he
> began placing ads in several
, newspaper for die Skipper
> Discount Company and die
; 7" *'""**' > " > 7'
: h&aiNt
‘ l "^y l 7?!y i y
coupon to buy the brand name
at a lower price,” he said.
With the coupon the com
pany introduces its product to
a new group of buyers, in
creases its profits and is
clearly one of couponing’s
winners.
Now for the losers.
“When coupons are
available, the consumers who
continue to purchase the
brand-name products without
taking advantage of the offer,
come out on the short end of
things,” he said.
“The full price of the pro
I JtL \#CEDENTON VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER I
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|H merchandir maybe purchased at me sate twice amen it becomes available or you may purchase similar quality merchandise at a similar price reduction It is the policy of TGAY to see that you are happy with your purchases •It is
TGAY s potic' to be priced competibveiv n the ma-«et Regular Sale Prices may vary market by market, but the sale price will always be as advertised •We will be happy to retund your money it you are not satisfied with your
purchase VISA* and Mailer Card* accepted.
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I rfT TG&Y WILL MEET ANY LOCAL COMPETITORS
CURRENT ADVERTISED PRICES BRING THEIR .AD! g
THE CHOWAN HERALD
duct may De as much as 17
per cent higher because of the
coupon.”
In recent years there has
been a steady increase in the
use of coupons, and the in
formed consumer should
know about how they’re
priced and who pays for them,
Levedahl said.
Levedahl lodes at coupon
ing as a flag.
“When I see products or
stores consistently couponing
I get a bit suspicious and
won’t shop there or buy that
brand unless I have coupons.”
' he said.
> The data for Levedahl’s
research was supplied by a
i firm which surveys a large
• random sampling of
. householders regarding their
[ purchasing habits. Support
! for this work came from
, NCSU faculty research and
professional development
. funds.
Levedahl said housewives
- like Karen Steudel, who is
; spokeswoman of the
I American Couponing Club of
: Cary, represent another of
couponing’s winners.
“Shoppers who are willing
to invest their time clip
ping, organizing and using
coupons wisely can realize
some very substantial
rewards,” Levedahl said.
Mrs. Steudel says that for
the Cary women, couponing
offers a variety of benefits.
“Its a nice way to stay at
home and eani a little bit of
extra money, she said. “The :
money is tax-free, and I’m :
able to be here when my
children 1 com? home from
school.” i
Mrs. Steudel estimates that ;
through couponing, refunds
and buy-back offers, she
saves more than $2,000
annually.
Mrs. Steudel, whose index
ed coupon inventory exceeds
2,000, says that for many
housewives, refunding has
become even more attractive
than couponing.
“I save proofs-of-purchase
such as boxtops and labels
from practically every
grocery item I bjy,” she said.
“I know which companies of
fer the better refunding deals
and buy their products. Then
Thursday, January 27, i©iV
when a deal hits, I’m ready ft
cash in.”
Several weeks ago sS§
shopped a Raleigh groceij
store that was doublitM
values on coupons.
“My bill was $110.39. Whdf
the coupons had been coufih&
and doubled, I paid $52.55,*?
she said.
When consumers like
Karen Steudel drive awas
from the grocery store, they
not only go out winners, say*
Levedahl, they leave the less
cost-conscious shoppers
behind to help foot the bill