The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-24
HOLIDAY SHOPPING
PEAK HAS PASSED
This Years Purchases 30 to
100 Per Cent Beyond ANY
Previous Record.

On the wall just over the managers
desk in one Of Memphis largest de-
partment stores, a calendar Wednesday
night displayed the date, Sat. Dec 20.
For the past four days no one had
noticed it. Time had been reikoned
as three days before Christmas then
two and finally one. Everyone in that
office as well as throughout the store
had been too busy to notice that the
calendar. hadn't been kept up, to date,
That is but an instance but IL re-
veals clearly the situation that has
prevailed in every business house in
Memphis for the past week.
Main street merchants "Wednesday
were prepared for the greatest surge
known or anticipated. Throngs were
on the streets when stores opened at
o'clock and moved forward In eager
search for additional Christmas pres
ents.
Managers of various of the larger
Christmas crowd by mid-afternoon and
laid plans to meet 1t. Work weary
clerks, buoyed up by the thought that
in a few hours 1t would all be over.
for a year, at least, were expected to
fill the largest days sales of the year.
predictions were that Wednesdays to-
| tai In actual number of sales would
exceed the best of 1918 by 40 or so
| per cent This was applicable more to
the larger department stores.
Want Silks.
Insofar as the value Of a days nur-
| chases, business leaders generally were
| Of the opinion that the high point was
| reached Monday The crowds Wednes-
| day were made up of the usual list of
| late shoppers and greatly augmented
| hx~ tnn Ia i
| dittonal tribes or was hunting for ar
| ticles unobtainable elsewhere on pre-
| Vious occasions,
Another department store head de-
| clared that Monday witnessed a high
record for his firm In both volume and
value OF goods disposed Of This man
| pointed out that since he became con-
nected with this firm and he is r
veteran in the business, he has never
seen the equal to the jump in demand
for better quality articles, One in
stance he gave was that of man who
| he knew several years ago wore $3.50
cotton shirts, now is calling for the silk
variety bearing price tags Of $l2 and
Sl4. This manager also ventured the
prediction that so per cent Of Mem
phtans who II months ago never gave
a thought to silken garments today are
demanding nothing else.
Turkey Supply Abundant.
Although activities in jewelry stores
continued Wednesday with no sign of
abatement several prominent silver
smiths said their largest receipts for
single days came In over week ago.
The crowd Of buyers was in no man.
ner lessened. however. Merely the pur-
chasers Of more expensive gew- gaws
shopped early. This jeweler stated
that Monday and Tuesday he had
numerous calls for articles that at this
time it was impossible TO supply, a
bauble fanciers have been busy for
nearly two months now. During No
rember, this man stated. there were
many days when he more than doubled
his receipts for any like period in 1918
Many chap will be confronted with
the very completing problem Of hang
Ing onto strap in a Tutwier and al
the sane time managing a turkey Wed
nesday evening as he proceeds home
ward. Poultry dealers report thai
purchasing Of this fowl has been put
off this year, The supply is plentiful
for undersize birds around Thanksgiv-
ing time prompted many raisers TO hold
their turkeys for Christmas. There
said, but In more than one home
B there'l be no turkey simply because
turkey has become more or less a com
!, mon table dish and II II is present /,
twin be merely tos keep tradition. Any.
, way, there will be fewer than evel
! homes where Christmas dinner will be
: served Hotel stewards for days have
been making ready for a drive thai
they foresee will far exceed their ca.
pacity. Table reservations Tuesda,
/ were recorded in an unusual volume.