Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-28
"OFOMAHESTRADE
Immediate Business Quiet Owing TO Usual
Holiday Dizziness.
PRACTICALLY NO MARKET FLUCTUATIONS
Wholesalers. Now Invoicing and Maxi
ing Preparations for spring Busi-
ness, which They Expect VIII
BE a Record Breaker.

ness, which They Expect viii
BE a Record Breaker
business in a wholesale way IL prac-
tcaIy at a standstil and not much ac-
tivity r. looked forsnntil after the first OF
Nthe year. JobbeTs are busy, however in
yoicihg and getting their stocks in shape
for spring goods. Travelling men are spend
Ing their holidays at their homes. so that
they are not taking spring orders. Retailers
in shape after the rush that was expert
enced previous TO Christmas day. Accord
Ing TO all advices received. merchants
cleaned up their supplies Of Christmas
goods much better than they anticipated.
and I'm fact had the best trade on record.
That. was true OF the country store as well
demand, though, was not confined to strict
ly holiday goods, for the cold weather made
all kinds Of winter weight goods very popu-
lar and merchants went a long way toward
selling out their stocks'of staple lines. With
continued cold weather jobbers look for
a very nice recorder business 60 set In inn
mediately after the first Of the year. They
also expect their travelling men to md
orders for spring lines. owing to the sue
cessful trade they have had so far In
winter lines. Unless something unexpected
happens to change the general situation,
the feeling is that the spring trade of 1903
will break the record Of 1902 by a wide
Collections have also been showing great
Improvement and now no complaints are
AtdIu vi lHbN EtOIts III llt tdAlg poAN "
December, before much cold weather had
arrived, there was some talk Of slow col
%lections, but now that merchants been
selling out their stocks they are meeting
their bills Will unusual promptness.
The markets have shown very little
Everybody seems to be waiting for the new
year and az a result there have scarcely
ton. The outlook for the future. though, is
very encouraging, as the demand seems TO
be fully up to production; so there Is no
impression seems to be that merchants are
safe in buying their spring lines at present
prices.
Active Preparations for Spring.
Business with local dry goods houses is
very quiet, as the usual holiday dizziness
prevails. Active preparations for spring
are being made, however. Travellers are in
/ of the road having. their samples remod-
eled, trunks repaired and getting ready IN
every way for the spring campaign of 1903.
7 Trainloads of spring goods are arriving
used to display the new lines, which they
claim are much more extensive than they
have heretofore carried. The growth OF the
exceedingly rapid during the last few years
and jobbers have been able each season TO
preceding one, and they expect this coming
spring TO make even a larger increase than
ever before. This year has been very salts
factory, both in sales and in results, and
wholesalers are calling attention to the
fact that Omaha now stands in the front
TANK Will Nlt lNhhilAb .
There have been no q%uotable changes In
the prices of leading staples since last re-
goods are well under control and any
change from the present basis will be in
the direction of an advance.
Hardware n Little Quiet.
Wholesale hardware men also report i'm
mediate business rather dun. Merchants
are busy I'm the country getting their stocks
back in their usual form and invoicing. so
that they will not order more goods until
after the first of the year, even ~thouRhthey
are short. In the meantime sJohbers are
1 invoicing and making preparations for the
future, so they find plenty to DO. Tney al
Christmas trade and their reports from
the country indicate that retailers also did
So far as the market is concerned, there
ia not much to be said, as prices are just
ago. There Is not much buying in any
quarter hat present, though. and probably
Will not be until after the first OF the year.
but no very radical changes are looked for,
except those caused by the readJustment Of
freight rates.
No Change In Groceries.
There was not a single change In the
grocery market during last week that Is
worthy of mention. Sugar Is in practically
the same position II has been for the last
several days, and so, also. are dried fruits
rice, coffee, teas and all other staple lines.
The markets are apt TO hold about STEADY
at Christmas time. but that has been the
case this year 10 a greater extent than
usual Jobbers say they do not look for
any Important changes until after Janu-
Trade was exceptionally heavy with
wholesalers up to Christmas day, but inc
last tvs, days OF the week iwSf erm !
the rest of this year. They are, making
big preparations for next month, however;
as they expect a very brisk demand In all
lines.
Heavy Rubbers in Demand.
. oood da-and oil last
week for a%rctics, felt boots and all that
class OF goods. The extreme cold weather
retSiieTs' stocks were soon exhausted and
sent In rush orders to local Jobbers. with
etontinued cold weather wholesalers say
they will do an enormous business all next
Leather goods jobbers also did a very
satisfactory business. especially In Christ
mas specialtles. They are not counting on
much more business, though. the rest OF
After January / their travelling men will
start out after spring orders once mors
and they expect to meet with good sue.
lines in good shape, and that always. en-,
courages early buying of spring lines
Travelling men so far have taken more ad'
vance orders than ever before up TO this
time, and they hope TO keep up their rec
ord during the remainder OF the season.
= Fruits and
The demand for fruits was exceptionally
heayY ne nrst OF last week, but Inc ae
The cold weather, OF course. also had q
tendency to cut down shipments, Th'
Christmas trade as a whole was very sat
i%sfactory and stocks were cleaned up II
good shape, Christmas decorations wer'
also In good demand and almost everything
was disposed OF except one car that arrived
late.
SO far as quotations go, there were al
most no changes at all. and the ruling
prices will be found In another column.
The market on turkeys held up, in goot
shape. and the wholesale price ruled from
Ice to l9c. The demand was sufficient e
take all that was offered. except a littli
stock that arrived late Wednesday after
noon, and as there has been very It'll,
trade since Christmas. most OF that stool
Is still In jobbers' hands, although the!
have been Offering Il at reduced prices
The market on chickens, ducks and gees
also held fully steady.
There was no particular change all tn
week In the market on butter and eggs,