Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-10
MIDSUMMER DULLNEss
ELIMINATED THIS YEAR
Retailers and All Shopkecpers May
Count on Good Business All
Through Heated Term.
CHANGES BROUGHT ON BY WAR
Usual Exodus Will BE Limited.
shoppers Who Have Been Buying
From Hand-to-Mouth and New
Corners Keeping Business Good.

There is always a summer lct-up in
business in the retail circles of Rich
mond. 1t Is generally known as tn.
summer dull season. and all the re-
tailcrs. especially the dry goods ANA
notion and millinery dealers. feel the
effects of II.
There are various reasons for this
dull season. IL is partly attributab BILE
10 hot weather. partly to the fact that
the people generally supply all Of their
summer needs in the way Of cothinS,
shoes, hats. etc. before tho real sum-
:ner arrives. and with the aIvcn, Of
the torrid season they just start on
protractcd vacation. far as shop
ping is concerned. that is. enough Of
them do il TO make trade dull until the
time comes for very carly fail shop
ping.
1t is predicted and believed by many
Of the merchants tina; there will he
something of a different state of affairs
this year, and that tho summer dull
season" Will not be so ,n:ll as in years
gone by. This is To bc noted as one
Of the innovations brought about by
war times At least that is the way
tho men who arc predicting lively re-
tail trade AL this summer put it
The reasons given for this new thing
under the hot summer sun are numcr-
Gus and may be conclusive. In tho first
been good all the spring. the fact re-
mains that tho people have not laid in
a whole summers supply of dry goods,
shoes. notions. etc. but because of high
prices and the lingering hope OF some
lowering Of them as the season adj
vancca they have bought just as they
needed The goods. and SO they will
natura IS have 10 keep op buying to
MI ~ ne gaps. To illustrate Mrs.
Shop";'i j.. who is in the habit OF sup
rving "aah of her three daughters with
do",a aud 4 half pairs of silk hose
10 carry them entirely through the
summer and IN 10 frost time this year
bought only half dozen pairs for
each ono. hoping that by the time holes
arc punched through the toes Of the
half dozen the price for silk hos.
Will be lower. Mrs. Shopcarlv will
again be in tho market for silk hose
before the Fourth Of July This APP
plies 10 everything else as we'll as 10
silk hose.
Then. again. there will not bc so
much going away, from Richmond for
The summer - IN Years past. Probably
rot half rs many people will leave
this summer locked To the moun-
tains and elsewhere last summer. ana
II is likely that half Of those who do
leave viii not so far away. but viii
find rcicf from tho city heat i'm very
even IN the suburbs. and they viii h.
IN easy shopping reach. They can run
IN TWO or three times a week to ra.
plenish the silk hose supply and all
the other supplies that were laid in on
the wartime plan this year. In brief
people have been shopping this wear
from hand 10 mouth" as the saving
IS, and they VIII ncccssarny have 10
keep II W all summer. For these rea-
sons and some others not uecessarv TO
mention here the retailers are look
lnS Tor something OF an elimination
OF the usual summer dull season ana
arc expecting trade 20 be good an
through the heated period. of course
not altogether as good as during the
spring drive, but far better than has
been the rule for the months OF july
and August.
IS for the Erocery,nen and market
men and all the dealers in foodsturs
;h"re Is no dull time ahead Tho nm
usual number Of stay-at-homes win
nave 70 DC regular customers of theirs
and then the large number Of pcopl.
drought here t. work on government
JOBS. the soldier trade and all the like
OF mat viii! keep them BUYS cnoug,
Tor hot spell however extended tia.
may b." Altogether the present indi
'@'"ns arc that Richmond will hav,.
no uuIl summer season" this yaar