The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-11
CHRISTMAS RUSH
IS BEGINNING
Stampede Not Expected, How
ever, and Merchants Don't
Want One.
STEADY, CONSISTENT
BUYING is DESIRE
Trade Fair in All Lines and
Merchants Generally Are
Satisfied.

! Casual glances in the retail stores OF
the city do not give the correct impres-
sion OF the trade of the week. One Is
| bound 10 say. even at that. that buying
| is on the mend and that a larger per-
centage OF those out looking now are
buying, Al the same time the grand
| rush-the proverbial Christmas rush-is
not driving merchants to distraction. So
Ear as that kind of trade goes the aver
age merchant would like To set past this
season with as little as possible Of II.
On the other hand, the steady buying.
with time to deliberate, is the kind OF
trade that relieves the shelves OF the
goods and sends out pleased custom
ers.
A number Of stores have offered dis
count sales on seasonabie merchandise
that causes trade in those lines TO hustle
Bit However. the staple goods dc well,
considering the backward fall Giving
present conditions every advantage.
there would have been a different story
TO tell ii the last two weeks had deliv
cred some real winter weather. From
the trade standpoint. this essentially Is
true. From the standpoint of the man
who has to make ready for the cold
weather. the late arrival OF winter has
merchants say they have no complaint,
everything considered, and that the show
Ing made so far, indeed is remarkable
Heavier lines did not move this past
"cpN iiiuSii IL ouS idotCl tEaIl Tic Week
before.
Change of Styles.
The warm weather is not altogether
to blame, however. for the slackness OF
some lines in selling. The sudden
change Of styles affects certain lines. For
instance, the change from the full hounce
skirt to the semi-hobble has cut down
dress goods sales almost one third,
Where woman required four yards for
a skirt, two and one half yards now will
make the skirt AS 81 pyh
have TO be made in place Of one. II
means two customers in place of one, or
two dress patterns sold TO one GUS
toner.
In strictly Christmas goods. Of course.
the weeks sales have been on the in
crease. TOYS are beginning to take the
lead Merchandise. suitable for gifts for
boys and girls. is beginning TO bid good
bye to the shelf and TO the stock rooms
of the stores. The outlook is that this
class OF goods will exceed all sales rec
ords. This is true because the boys and
girls are looked after In the Christmas
buying first. AS the census showed a big
Increase In the number OF school children,
1t is only natural that the effect will be
seen in the Christmas sales.
Jewelry Moving.
Jewelry is finding ready buyers The
many well stocked stores OF the citv are
dows have been made exceptionally at
tractive to purchasers and the'gift mania
is taxing mold, From year to year the
}ewelry stores add larger and more at
tractive lines to please n discriminating
buying public Some OF the sales record
ed for the week run into large sums.
Practically all the Christmas jewelry
business stays at home. as the stores
here offer anything that can be found in
any other market,
Furniture stores have been in the
limeiight during the week and reports OF
a creditable weeks business come from
these stores. In the hardware stores there
has been a steady stream OF buyers not
out to look but to buy. Hardware stores
have had their share OF the first real
Christmas buying Of the season.
Mail Order Sales.
Probably the most encouraging part of
the weeks retail business has been the
mail order sales. Out OF town trade by
mail and In person has been the strong
est In oil lines In weeks This is n
source of pleasure for two reasons-it
comes at time when the stores are not
crowded with local trade. giving local
customers better opportunity later In
the season. and it assures the merchants
that this trade will not be denied them
as there is strong effort made for this
line OF business.
Clothing stores begin TO experience the
extra buying for Christmas. In furnish
ings and the lighter stuff the week has
been exceptionally good AS a matter
OF course, clothing Is not n Christmas
stock in trade Gift buying does not run
to this class OF goods.