The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-21
EARLY SHOPPING
CRUSADE WINNER.
Christmas Rush viii Be Great
ly Relieved During the Last
Buying Days.
MANAGERS ARE PLEASED
HERALD-REPUBLicAN coMPLI.
MENTED ON CAMPAIGN.

That the early Christmas shopping cru
sade inaugurated by The Herald ReDub-
Hcan three weeks ago is bearing fruit
IS reflected in the general statements of
the managers of Salt Lakes big depart
ment stores. the centers of the hereto
IOfe Two or three days rush and crush
Just before Christmas
The usual Christmas trade in the ma
Jorlty Of stores is advanced from one to
Two weeks, and although the trade of
saturday and yesterday showed a steady
increase, the merchants are satisfied
mat with the opening of the stores on
Wednesday. Thursday and Friday even
lhgs tney VIII be fully able to take
care OF the helated shoppers This is
m marked contrast TO former years when
lle SHOPS were forced to keep open every
evening Tor at least the full week be-
lore Christmas.
Not only has the buying period been
advanced. but each store reports a graft
tying increase in the volume Of business
Tor the month so far over the same month
OF former years. The increase in sales
varies from 20 to % per cent up to as
nigh as 40 per cent.
me store managers are enthusiastic
Dolh over the increased business and
inc results OF the early shopping cru
There has been a noticeable tendency"
saId NJ H. Walker, general manager of
Keith-O' Brien company, "on the part of
shoppers this season to purchase early.
! believe this is the direct result of bav-
ms the matter brought to their attention.
The Herald-Republican is entitled to a
great deal of credit for its part in this
movement. The Christmas shopping trade
NOT only began a week earlier compared
70 former years, but the buyers are COM
ing earlier In the day. IF people could
only De made to understand that it is to
lhelf advantage to shop early you would
ina lew late hours in the stores. 1t is
70 the purchasers advantage to do his or
ber shopping early When every one
waits until the afternoon hours Of the
last Few days it puts a burden on the
clerks, the service necessarily suffers.
The buyer is not given ample time either
TO inspect or to make a suitable choice
and before the sale is completed there
is lot Of ruffling Of temper All that
ping.
Sales Are Increased.
There has been a noticeable increase
IN our sales and we are doing a bust
ness far in excess Of recent years at
TINS time Money seems to be free, as is
shown in the proportion of our cash sales
70 charge sales, and it is also to be seen
in this months collections. Usually De
cember is a hard month for collections
owing to the holidays but this season is
an exception"
"Our Christmas rush is easily ten or
twelve days ahead of the usual time.
said j. H. Beifuss, manager Of the wal
-er Brothers Dry Goods company. I'VE
are in the middle Of it now, you might
say and the heavy congestion of the
two or three days preceding Christmas.
which has marked former seasons, viii
be materially relieved this year Here
tOfore we have been forced usually to
keep our store open every evening for g
week before Christmas. With the edu-
cation of the people Of the ACCESSIBILITY
Jf shopping early, we viii cut that over
time in half this year. The Herald-Re-
publican has done good work in impress
ng upon the people the early shopping
movement, and by another year we
should be able to dispense with the open
store al night altogether.
THE people are not only buying earlier
his season, but there is a marked in
'rease in the trade, as shown by our
5ales Every one seems to have enjoyed
a year of prosperity and has money to
spare"
Although our sales at this time show
4 marked advance over those Of the same
2eriOd last year. indicating both an in
crease in business and earlier buying,
yet there has not been the extent Of
early shopping we would like to see. The
people do not seem to have grasped thor
1ughly the advantages Of early shopping
vet" said T. q. Weber. superintendent
Of the z. c.. NJ. I. stores,
Forenoon Time to Buy.
axe IN LL-5 lULGuOOlS3 LOE stance
while they are not altogether quiet, yet
there is no great rush. The afternoons,
however, see our stores packed and
iammed. Now, if that trade and pur-
chasing was distributed q little more over
The early hours, every one, both pur-
1hasers and ourselves, would be much
better pleased. The papers are doing
a splendid thing, however, in the early
shopping crusade, and the results to be
obtained 10 the purchaser and merchant
alike have already been demonstrated, 1
think"
H. J. Wallace, manager of F. Auer-
bach & Brother, said:
There has been q steady increase in
our business this season and # is now
not. however noticed any appreciate
earlier shopping, although doubleday
there has been some. We would wish for
a great deal more of it,
I'VE are doing the biggest business OF
years past this season." said L. Z. Lip
man, manager of the L. & A. Coin
stores. "As to early shopping, however,
am afraid there has not been much |
more of it than formerly. People seem /
still to hold back until the last week, |
and the next few days are likely to be /
constant rush. Still, though, there has
)een an Improvement"
Although The neutrality-suspicious. has
lone admirable work in the effort to /
convince people that they ought to shop I
sarly at Christmas time especially, the I
buyers seem to require a little more
lrOdding." said W. o. Carbis, manager /
If the Paris Millinery company. There /
las been some earlier buying, but the /
Effect of this is offset by the increased /
-Olume of trade this season, and the /
IF former years, when just the few days /
.aforn Christmas every one is hurried. ~ /