New-York tribune., 1921-11-13
Consumer Demand Shifting
Retailers Find Wealthy Patrons Return
ing; Wage Farmers Con6ning Pur-
chases to Low-Priced Necessities

The wealthy people, who were econo-
mlzlng all last year and the early part
OF this year because OF the bec!ouded
industrial outlook, are again spending
their money, more freely. Every day
we make sales to charge account Gus
| toners whose accounts have been dor
mant for long period, some of them
as long as two and three wears"
Inc TACT that old patrons are return
ing to their accustomed shopping
places was emphasized by another
store executive on the avenue, who
declared that many of their old charge
accounts had become active again,
while som of the newer accounts
opened during the war and postwar r
boom had fallen down. 1--WE watch
these new accounts very closely" he
added, "and are not permitting them to
run over the established credit limits
or the time of payment. Many of
those who made big incomes a couple
of years ago have dropped back to their
pre-war status, which is not sufficient
to permit their buying on the scale
they did in 1919 and 1920"
One retail concern which maintains
store on Fifth Avenue, where only
the highest quality of merchandise is
handled, and another on side street
where medium priced goods are sold.
Fifth Avenue business has greatly in
creased, while the volume of sales in
the medium priced store have dropped
off, Investigation in the same line Of
business discloses that the stores hand
ling the lowest quality of merchandise
are making big sales. Discussing this
development the president of the con-
Germ said that in his opinion the people
who have the money to spend are seek
ing the best in quality and style, while
those who are buying only when neces-
slty. compels are regarding only price,
paying as little for an article as they
can and deferring their desires in quaf-
1ty and style to the day when their ex-
pendltures can be enlarged
Another evidence of the tendency ig
found in the increased busines in the
bargain easements" of two leading
stores here. The managers of these
basement departments asserted that
business is at least third heavier in
dollars and cents than it was a wear
ago. This means. with the lower price
scale vastly Increased busines in
units of merchandise. These bargain
easements handle 'sjob lots" and often
seconds" of standard merchandise.
The currailed incomes apparently have
driven consumers, who formerly were
D"5ctS w Soou Iudilly ESlcHdnGiSGy 10
accept something slightly inferior,
which can be bought for considerably
less money.
The economy wave, however, is best
demonstrated in the mems clothing in
| dustry. In New York as elsewhere,
clothing merchants insist that there is
demand fer suits and overcoats rang
ing from $25 TO S35. The efforts TO
meet this demand have taken the form
of using the cheapest cloths possible.
which accounts for the large volume Of
business that cloth mills have done in
tweeds and other woolen fabrics, as
distinguished from worsteds, which
must be made of higher grade wooIs
Sc strong is this demand that cloth
sellers say that it is difficult to sell
cloth to clothing manufacturers at
prices much aboye So yard.