The chain store in the United States and Canada

The chain store is an important distributive agency in both the United States and Canada , although it has seen a somewhat greater development in the former country. During the last half of the twenties the number of chain units approximately doubled, expansion still proceeding at a rapid rate when depression set in. Although the number of units has been somewhat curtailed (but not in all fields) in the last five years, the importance of the chain as shown by its percentage of total sales has continued to increase. This increase has been relatively more in the United States. In both countries development has taken place in similar fields with a significant degree of concentration in a few fields where highly standardized operation is possible, for example, the food and variety fields. Large chains, as is to be expected, are more important in the United States where many of the so-called local chains are large according to Canadian standards. The chain store in both the United States and Canada shows a decided tendency toward concentration in urban areas.