The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-28
HOLIDAY TRADE.
1t Broke All Records for This
City.
What Was Doae by a Few of the
Prosperous Business Concerns.

The dearth of trade resulting from yes
terday's storm gave all the store keepers
an excellent opportunity to find out
where they were at after the rush OF the
holiday trade. And they discovered that
they were in very pleasant places, tnan-
c!auy speaking. No Christmas trade
was ever better than that of 1904. The
comparison OF results with those OF last
year, during the hard times period, is
something remarka BILE, but is not specially
significant except 10 show how little n o aey
people bad to spend in 1888. the com
parison with previous and ordinarily
prosperous years, however, is significant
anu from the statements taken all along
the business streets, in all sorts of stores,
ii Is safe TO infer that during the two weeks
between the tenth and twenty fourth of
this month there was more money
taken over rotnil counters than in any
other fortnight of the business OF Provi-
dcnce. And they all give good weet her
the credit for 1t. For example, at shepard
and Company's they state that they had
far the best trade o; any time since
the store was es ablished, four
teen years ago last Marco. The
trade was very uniform for the last eight
days, IL having started in early and kept
up steadily until Christmas Eve, with q
snap and vim on the part of purchasers
that made quick buying easy, and sbicd
the clerks to attend to the crowds, which
were more than twice as large as
on an ordinary day. The noticeable fea-
ture OF the purchasing was the great
number of articles called for rather than
the smaller demand for high priced goods.
The report from the ii. w. Ladd Com
pany is that the holiday trade was i'm
mepse, particularly in medium priced
goods, and although the mild weather de-
creased somewhat the trade in furs and
heavy underwear, the total amount OF
business transacted was away above that
OF iosmcr seasons.
At the Boston Store the trade was
way up above all previous records, and it
was very general, the heavy business not
being at all confined TO those departments
where holiday goods also were disposed Of.
The tendency in gift making, as shown by
the demands at this esta blishment, IS to
give the staples.
The management at Gladding's reports
a big Christmas trade, especially in the
silk department., tho fabric being at an
unusually low price and the demand for
IL being corrcspondingly large. But the
trade throughout all the other depart-
ments were equally heavy, and by Christ
mas Eve the holiday stock was cleaned out
by the many sales. AS at the her places,
the trade at Gladding's was unpre-
cedentcd.
For the candy trade. l.. A. Tilling ghast a
Co. and John III. Roberts state the case
for all the local dealers in saying that
their business during che holidays was
never better, and they had three full
weeks Of IL.
Gregory, who has been in tho book bus
mess on Westminster street for n years,
says that In that time ho never knew
business 20 be better than during the two
weeks just past. Md 1t was bet
ter in two ways: Many sales with
big receipts and also much more intelli-
gent demand. Tho "trash" in literature
was almost ignored, and the call was for
the best of the new and standard books
at moderate prices.
The business In gents furnishings was
up with the rest Of the trade and, accord.
ing TO Harson, bent all records.
Jcwelry occupied It's usual prominent
place ir Ihc buying OF ChristIna presents
and all the novelties met with .eafy
sale. III. 5. Tanner says that the holi ia,
business OF 1894 establishes the record sc
far as the number OF purchsser~ . -