The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-11-27
Trade A. Whole Is Very
Light Christmas Buying
:, Has Not Begun.
COLDER WEATHER IS \
= BIG BUYING STIMULUS
Despite Tishtness Of ! =e
Preparations Are Mac 8
For Busy 1921. s.

judicious advertising and Except s
al merchandise values" have ass,
ed in, increasing retail business
! the leading cities of Minnesota du,,
ng the past few weeks, but trade j
very lightzas whole; Christmas buy
ing has not commenced and the No.
vember volumeeof business is consid-
erably below 1919. 4.
These facts were obtained during
! the past. week by The Merchants Ma
tienal Bank of Saint Paul, with the
cooperation Of banks thruout the
staten Bankers in every section
sought the opinion Of their leading
retail merchants and made replies to
these questions which were mailed to
them by. tie Merchants National
Bank: 50
tos s;v is retail trade 7" your terri
Has recent cold affected buying? =
Has Christmas buying been begun
to- any extent?
do merchants believe there will be
heavier Christmas buying this year,
than there was in 1919?
Several leading St. Paul merchants
were interviewed and their viewpoints
are reflected in the following an
nouncement: tSe-s-,~
ssIndications here are that retail
trade generally is q little: better 1T
thespresent time than it mas been for
the past few months" ~
Zone Arm interviewed stated that
the recent cold wave has increased
buying but little, but others state that
it has caused quite a squirt in buy
ing by The public and still colder
weather they believe will have fur
Their influence in that respect. One
firm stated that Christmas buying has
not begun. Others stated that the
Christmas goods were moving fairly
we'll.
,s "Firms generally believe that
Christmas buying may be somewhat
lighter this year than last but never
the less, they are preparing for a
heavy trade. One st.. Paul firm states
that the reason for its belief that
there will be heavier buying this
Christmas, is that it has been making
an effort for the past month to in
crease business by means of excep-
<tional merchandise values"
It was noticeable in number of
reports from out in the state that
merchants who advertised effectively
were getting more business than
merchants who depended upon reg
ular trade" Conservative reports,
without comment, were received from
a number of ounties-including Kan
diyohi, <Marshalls Rice, Grant, Good
hue, Douglas, Pope, Freedom, Brown,
Anoka, Becker, Kanebec, Clay, Polk,
Traverse, Winona, Murray and Da-
kota. A number Of these bankers
pointed out that farmers expect to
dispose of crops shortly and then
make Christmas purchases. Others
forecast that farmers would probably
hold their grain until January or Feb.
ruray and that tho yprobably. would
buy lightly.
A Thief River Falls banker said
merchants declared buyers were
"holding off," Recent cold increased
buying in Mahnomen county. In Lin
: coin county farmers are expecting
further price reductions. Credit sales
have been heavy in Fillmore county
Light Christmas business is forecast
Business in st. Louis county was re-
ferred to as "fair to slow" Christ
mas buying has started on a small
scale. Lower county merchants de-
cfared that all but few customer:
are combining their purchases to ne
cessities. Bargain sales are fair
trade getters in Martin county bu
business has been light. Cottonwood
county merchants have increased
their advertising. Christmas bust
ness in Marshall county will depend
upon the ability of farmers to marke
their grain. In practically ever.
county. heard from, farmers are de
: manding generous credit terms from
i retail merchants and general stor'
keepers.
Despite the tightness of money
Minnesota> farmers, merchants ant
civic officials are making preparation
for busy 1921. While few factor
les in small cities have shut dow
Temporarily, and others have redue
ed their working forces, it has beef
noticeable quite generally that thes
interruptions as regarded as temper
airy. 49,.