New-York tribune., 1919-07-11
Fewer Complaints
Over Prices, Say
Garment Dealers
Tendency to Order Higher
Grade Merchandise Feat
ures of the Buying Sea-
son, Now in Full Swing

In the showrooms of women's ap-
parel manufacturers activity was fur
ther increased yesterday by the con-
tinued influx of buyers for ous-of-
town retail stores, and by the placing
Of orders by those who had arrived
earlier in the week, but held off max
ing actual purchases until they
''shopped" through the market
Many manufacturers said that while
complaints Of the high prices were
voiced by buyers earlier in the week,
these murmurings have died out as
the purchasers dig further into the
market and discover that low-priced
merchandise is on-existent.
Manufacturers without exception say
the buyers are operating more heavily
than they did last year, but when
pinned down for a definite statement
as to whether the retailers are taking
larger quantity of merchandise than
IN normal times, hesitate to give a di-
rect answer. William Hendricks. of
the firm of Brambir & Hendricks. man
ufacturers of dresses, said yesterday
that by actual count the buyers who
had placed orders with his house were
not taking any more merchandise than
last year, although the amount of
money involved in the orders was from
100 to 200 per cent above the 1918
figures.
Buyers Budgets Increased
The advance of all merchandise and
the fact that many buyers are taking
! M r1 n
account for the increase. l have heard
many manufacturers say they are do
ing large volume of business reck-
oned in the number of pieces, but !
am sure if they will take the trouble
to figure it out they will find that there
has been little increase in the units
ordered by the retailers this year
buyers tell me that where they were
given $4,000 to spend for dresses last
year, their merchandise managers this
year have arranged a budget of S1OO,.
900. The buyers do not get more mer.
chandlse for this amount of money
but merely pay the increased prices
and perhaps buy more heavily of the
best quality"
Mr.. Hendricks's remarks were cor
rroborated by a representative of the
Peggy Paige Company, manufacture
of popular priced dresses.
We find that the largest increase in
our business" he said, "is coming from
the buyers who are taking better mer.
chandise than they did last year. Ir
1918 we thought we were doing vel
when we sold dresses at S35 apiece
wholesale. This year we are sellins
them at $50 and even above that fig
ure. Now this doesn't mean that our s3:
dresses have advanced to $50, bu. tha
our customers demand better grade
than they did previously. l thinl
this condition is true of the entire
market"
Revision of popular Prices"
Another manufacturer expressed tbs
view that the popular wholesale price
for dresses last year ranged between
$3.50 and $50, whereas this year it
has jumped to s35 to SS5.
Dress orders placed now are for
late August and early September de-
llveried, say the manufacturers
Shorter delivery dates will be asked
for in another month or two, according
to the manufacturers, who declare that
friction will result, due to the inability
of garment makers to produce merchan-
disc in the short space of ten days
or TWO weeks as they did formerly.