The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-31
THE RETAIL TRADE.

| A Fair General Aggregate Compared with
| 1SS4-Prospects Good for 1886.
| The year 1885 business has been exceeding
ly satisfactory one to retail dealers generally.
| The volume of the trade has been unusually
large The prevailing low prices have made the
comparative profits smaller than in previous
| years, but the increase in sales makes. on the
whole, marked improvement in the years
business. The holiday trade was much larger
than either "a or '83, and during August and
| September there was more buying than usual in
| some lines. more hopeful and confident feel
| ing prevails among the merchants than has been
expressed in previous years, and nearly all seem
| to be greatly encouraged with the prospects for
| the future.
| j. 7. Brush, of the When clothing store, re-
ports that the trade in his line has been much
| larger than in 1884, but that prices have been
| much lower. "The outlook for the future" he
| says, "is very favorable The prices of goods
| are advancing some, and that is good indica-
| ton. 1t shows that there has been healthy
| growth in trade"
DO you expect the prices to advance much7"
Il expect no great advance, but there has al
| ready been enough to indicate that prosperity is
| returning A decline is evidence of an unhealthy
| state, because it shows that there is not sufi
| cient demand for the manufactured product to
| now, that the outlook is very encouraging.
| Holiday trade has been very large-much ahead
| of last year People have not been buying
| largely or extravagantly, but everybody has
bought something. We have never made so
| many sales before during the holiday season,
| but the goods sold have not been so high priced
| as in some previous years"
H. G. Levi, manager of the Model clothing
store, in giving mis- views of the condition of the
| trade said I'm the East there was quito a
boom WI
| be an immense trade this winter and that the
wholesale manufacturers would do large bust
ness. If we had had cold weather the trade
would undoubtedly have been large, but as it
| was not expectations have hardly been realized.
| Our trade has been very much better than it was
last year, but generally in the smaller towns it
has not been as good as was expected. The
country is in better condition than it has been
| for years. and the indications point to a good
| spring trade There is an improvement in the
| iron interests, and there has been an apprecia-
ton of stocks of between 40 and 80 per cent. in
| the last six months There will soon be large
movement in grain, and this will throw money
into the channels of trade. Last season prices
were very low; now they stiffening up, aud
| manufacturers have sold ahead Of their produc-
ton
thing of an improvement in the retail dry goods
trade compared with the year 1884 The
prices are so low that we have to sell much more
to mako the same amount in dollars and cents.
Our sales have been better than in 1884, but the
| prices have been from 10 to Is per cent. lower.
The outlook for the future is more favorable now
than it was at the same time last year. The
great trouble now is that the low price of prod
uce makes money scarce and causes hard times
in the country, which, of course, affects us here
/ hardly think there will be any improvement in
the prices during the next year, and they GER
tainy can't get any lower The rock bottom has
been reached, and every thing now is a solid
basis. There is no danger of any loss stock
on hand"
NJ H. Spades: The prospects are very ia
vorable for good trade during the coming year
better than they have been for some time. Peo-
are getting into better shape. The laborers have
work, and there are few out of employment.
Farmers are getting out of debt; many of them
l find, are holding their crops until next year
which is a sure indication that they already have
enough to carry them through the period of the
depression in prices"
j. l.. Fugate, of Hildebrand & Fugate: 'We
have sold more goods during 1885 than in 1884
The trade has not amounted to as much in re-
ceipts, on occount of the depression in prices.
However, the shrinkage has about reached the
lowest point, and now there is a tendency to ad-
vance; in consequence the prospects for the next
season are very fair. We always sell more goods
on an advancing than declining market.
do not expect any great advances bat in the last
few days the price on barbed wire hinges, etc,
has gone up from to 10 per cent Prices got SO
low that they could go no lower and if there was
any change at all it must be upward"
King & Elder: TRADE in the furniture line
has been fully up to the previous year, although
it has hardly been what it was expected. The
ing at whatever they can get, to keep running 1
think that there will be slight advance. and the
prospects are good for better trade in 1886"
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