New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-06
HOLIDAY TRADE BOOMING
AHEAD OF LAST YEAR.
Big Stores Say There Is No EUi-
deRce of Slump.

The bright outlook for Christmas trade this
season is an effectual answer TO those prophets
or disaster who early in the fall predicted a
general financial stringency and a consequent
slump in business during the coming winter. II
is a patent fact that when the public needs to
economic it spends little money in holiday
shopping. careful Investigation conducted by
The Tribune last week among the large depart
ment stores and other concerns Of this city
which handle the bulk OF such trade shows that
their business is in many cases unusually good
despite the fact that the recent break in stocks
and the summers labor troubles have forced
some classes TO economic.
OF the ten largest department stores OF Man
haitian, all but three show trade much in
excess Of that Of a year ago. The other three
claim volume of business equal TO that Of any
previous year. JeyEe.ry stores and other houses
handling goods classed as Iuxurias show like
prosperous condition November trade generally
exceeded expecta tons. while the Christmas sea-
son which is just opening gives promise of even
greater advances. Staple drygoods are a trine
dun Just at present, owing to weather condi-
tons
Nathan straus. of F. H Macy & Co, said yes
terday:
we w f dong Ne an r gn gSF yqgs of business
Egh p,tced lines of goods as we ordinarily do The
are economizing little We are consequently
p peyshS a c9e9per grade OF goods this fan ard
Ihat doesn't seem to have affected the public az
Ia5ge however The people who buy at mod -
OF goods. Oel0'e II al niieS
Inc same conditions were reported from salcz
& co. II was predicted there that things would
pick up with a rush in the next week"
The Siegel-CooDeT Co. and B Altman & Co.
also announce an increase in trade over last year
in all lines. The manager Of Wanamaker,s said.
81 t have heard some tak o. Isht season in some
considerably over last year 7s
Charles F. Jones. superintendent OF the sinp-
son-Crawford Co said:
They tel Us We are having hard season. do
doing 30 PEI cent I9ra T b,i Siq~ IL are
eoe-a use ScO moe employees il We had them We
do 1t If the public not keeping US busy it
I'm tAe necessities Of life alone that people
this year and are selling only dolls and games in
in dolls and M We I'm nave ta AK IN more money
time in dolls. games and general toys combined I
CITY We keep close watch Of them all and / and
EXCEPTIONS We are all having increased trade
any means ~
H ONeilI & Co. report good season. with
Iair advance over last year, though not an IN
usually heavy one
Samuel Adams, Of the Adams Drygoods Com
pany, declared that general business through
out the country was exceptionally prosperous
and bound to boom further. He said:
There may be little local stringency. due entire
" 70 strikes through the summer, but il is purely
local and temporary. Our business is well M 10
the average. though il hasn't increased quite as
much as we had reason 10 hope. owing to these
local conditions Men from outlying towns an
agree that business is from 30 10 per cent better
than II was last year. OF course. the cotton mar
ket has surprised Us. II means. probably a rise
In cotton goods which viii, I believe increase our
foreign trade, and beneht the country al large