The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1918-11-30
MERCHANTSURcE
EARLY SHOPPING
GIVE TIP TO CHRISTMAS BUY.
ERS WHO DESIRE GOOD
SELECTION
War Conditions Cause Shortage Of
Holiday Stock-Sensible Gift
to Head the List

"Do your Christmas shopping
early" is to be no joke this year
says Uncle Sam, and he is borne out
in this by the merchants Of Colville.
Every year the idea of shopping
early has been urged on the people
by the merchants, so that the rush
at the last minute would not neces-
state keeping open until late at
night and the overworking of tired
clerks. It was thought that some of
the population ought not to spend so
much time helping the rest prepare
for Christmas that they themselves
would be too tired to enjoy it.
To these reasons for shopping
early the war has added another.
Merchants are unable to get their
orders filled in short time and say
that customers must shop early in
order to get their choice of the
Christmas stock.
"The manufacturers simply have
not the stock" said Louis Strauss of
Barmans, when asked about the buy
ing problem this Christmas. They
have been producing about 1879 of
their materials for the civilian trade
and 900 for military use, and it
will take some time for them to re-
verse this situation. 1t will take
several months for them to catch up
with the civilian trade.
"Then, too, there is help shortage
and transportation, difficulty, so that
merchandise is hard to secure. If
the people will shop earlier, they will
secure better service, have a better
selection, and will render the merS
chants a great favor because of their
help shortage. If Christmas shop
pers will shop earlier in the day,
they will also find it easier"
The merchants of Colville are of
the opinion that there will be more
buying of Christmas presents than
was expected before the news of the
end of the war. However, they can
already see indications of the ten
dency to do away with the buying
of gifts which are not practical. The
useful gift has the first place in
this years Christmas season. The
wartime conservation has become
habit and people are not ready to
60 back to the old extravagances.
Of course, the kiddies are going to
have their toys as usual. Christmas
would not be Christmas if there
were no children to make happy.
"There is a scarcity of holiday
goods this year" said C. c. Casey
of the Leader Department Store.
"There are some kinds of merchan-
disc that it is out of the question
to obtain. Take silk hose, for in
stance. 1t is difficult to secure
good quality silk hose, and the wise
shopper will purchase early to get
the benefit of the better quality and
lower price which can he found in
the stock which was purchased at
an earlier time. 1t is safe to say
that the biggest percentage of mer-
chandise is on the shelves Of the
retail dealers. Just as tip to the
Christmas shopper, it's going to be
a wise thing to make early selec.
tions."
"The late Christmas shopper will
have rather slim selection" states
Bert Nicol of the J. c. Penney Co.
store. He is of the opinion that the
bulk Of the Christmas trade is going
to be in essentials instead Of lux
uries.
The same sentiment has been ex.
pressed by other dealers, by confec-
TONERS, and retailers who sell arti-
cles appropriate for holiday trade.
Chan st. Clair said that flowers and
plants had been difficult to secure
to meet ordinary demands of the
season, and would be more so at
Christmas time. He advised that
people get their orders in early for
plants and flowers for the holiday
season.
The photographers and picture
trainers especially urge people to get
tNeir orders in on time. Photo stu.
dios are hard hit by the war condi-
tions, both in obtaining materials