Department and chain stores are offering more services

Department and chain stores in many large metropolitan areas are selling their customers more and more services instead of just goods. Besides traditional services such as carpet and upholstery cleaning, they are advertising firm prices (or finished-job costs) for such services as interior-exterior painting, roof inspection and renewal, gutter and aluminum-window replacement, patio and driveway repaving, outside lighting and security installations.

In most cases, large stores contact licensed outsiders to perform the services under the store name. Often the contractor will agree to use store-sold (or name-brand) paint, cement, light-fixture, and roofing-compound products. In return, the store will handle all documents (liens and so forth) and all billing - even charging the work on extended store credit. Most stores receive a reasonable and profitable markup; all work is guaranteed by the store under its own name.