New-York tribune., 1920-11-14
Sales
Put Goods i'm
Retail Stores
J0bbers Take Action to
Move Millions of Dollars
Worth of Textiles and
Dry Goods in the Week

Special sales by jobbers OF textiles,
wearing apparel and dry goods in gen
cral last week moved millions OF dol
lars worth of made-up merchandise
into the hands of the retailers The
special sales were conducted in prac-
tically every important jobbing center
outside of New York The sales were
listed variously as REIMBURSEMENT
"pre inventory" 'stock condition.
November house" and various other
types of sales, but the prime motive
back OF the liquidation apparently was
to turn over high-priced stock, in many
cases at q loss. 'Rcductions ran from
20 to SO per cent, and in some cases
even more, compared to the peak of
prices reached last spring.
The huge movement OF merchandise
is looked upon by many as the begin
ming Of a new trade movement, ex-
pected to set in when the readjustment
of prices in all lines is completed. 1t
served to break the buying deadlock
established by retailers last spring
<NlA OuA iiS tiC cUiiiutSA Wy " ehS
present time the retailers OF the coun
try have been buying sparingly, and
trade dropped to small percentage of
its normal activity.
Reports from the various centers in
which the sales were conducted-Bos-
ton, Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati,
Omaha, Minneapolis, Little Rock, St.
Joseph and Kansas City-indicated that
the retailers were loosening their
purse strings to great extent.
In Minneapolis the buying was par
ticularly heavy. Good results were
reported in Atlanta and Boston. In
nearly all cases the small retailers were
the principal buyers. This is not ex-
ceptional, as the large retailers in most
with manufacturers, wherever possible,
and normally purchase little from the
jobbers.
In some of the sales manufacturers
and jobbers of shoes participated. In
Cincinnati ffty-four concerns, includ
ing wholesale dry goods jobbers and
manufacturers of apparel, knit goods,
shoes, etc, offered special bargains for
the event. In one of the Mid Western
sales q New York cotton goods con-
verting house was represented.~
the sale was the assertion that special
sales will be held by the retailers as
soon as the merchandise is received in
their stores. For months the manufac
turers and wholesalers have been ham,
mering at the retailers to lower prices
on goods in stock and to take their
losses on high priced merchandise SINH
lar to those sustained by the manufac-
turers and jobbers.
Y~> lac
two important sales of special mer
chandise were conducted in New York
last week. The Alexander Smith & Sons
Carpet Company auctioned about $5,-
100000 worth of carpets and rugs and
Samuel Eiseman & Co. sold about $2,
100000 worth of silks at reduced
prices. which the retailers and garment
manufacturers could not we'll afford to
ignore.
The important point in these mer
chandising activities is the fact that
high-priced merchandise have despaired
of a reaction from present low levels
and have come to the conclusion that
good business demands that the goods
be put on the market regardless of in
itial cost or the loss sustained in their
sale.
1t is impossible to predict how soon
the new low prices arrived at in the
wholesale markets will be reflected in
retail prices. Experience shows that
price movement in retail circles are
slower than those in the wholesale
trade, but competition ultimately sets
the pace for the retailers, and with
low-p priced stocks in their hands, it is
likely that some retailers soon will in
augurate sales at prices that will force
their competitors to lower selling
levels