New Ulm review., 1921-12-28
Retail Trade for the Year.


Analysis of retail trade in the United
States for the close Of the year, made
by the National Retail Dry Goods
Association, demonstrates that re-
ductions in the prices of merchandise
have led to cessation of anything
remotely resembling buyers strike. ;"
Actual sales volume of fall merchandise
in pieces of merchandise appears
greater than was the sales volume re-
corded for the fall of 1920. The in
crease has been due to the obvious and
universal lowering of prices.
AS early as August Is of this year,
statistics collated for the entire coun-
try by the U. S. Department of Labor
on 10 standard articles of dry goods
showed retail price reduction below
the level OF August Is, 1920, of "a "a
per cent.
While the money value of net sales
the country over was lower by 6.7 per
cent in October, 1921, than it was in
October, 1920, the percentage of de-
cline has been substantially less than
was the percentage of decline in the
average price of goods during 1921,
indicating that the actual volume of
merchandise moving at retail is greater
than it was in 1920. The average
sale at retail, apart from holiday
goods, has amounted in money this
fall to 1913, as against So 63 for the
fall of 1920, a decline Of IA per cent.
This figure of 1 4 per cent decline, repre-
sents in large measure the economy
in money-outlay practised by the
public in obtaining considerable in
crease in volume of merchandise for
consumption.
Sectional Conditions: New England,
large sales volume in holiday goods,
with moderate trade in staple m,er-
chandise, being 27 per cent greater
than last fall; New York, volume of
merchandise moved is from 20 to rs
per cent in excess Of fall trade in 1920,
with very large holiday trade: Middle
West, holiday trade strong with season
able merchandise moving slowly, the
best showing being made in Chicago,
Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Kansas
City; the South, all merchandise slow
moving, but with Baltimore showing
marked activity; the Far West, large
sales volume, an ounting to % per cent
above the sales volume recorded for
the fall of 1920.
Chain stores show substantial gains,
up to November 1, while the United
Cigar Stores and S. H. Kress alike
went back 1.5 per cent from their last
years record for the period, the Wool
worth Company increased it's sales 81
Fer cent; S. H. Kresge, S.5 per cent;
J. C. Penney, 12.4 per cent, and the
Schultz Cigar Stores, 20.1 per cent.
The mail-order houses have not been
similarly favored by the buying
public. Many have undergone serious
reverses. Several of the smaller houses
have discontinued business, while
others have been forced into consolida-
tions. From January to Decen, Der
of this year, the Sears, Roebuck sales
decreased $74,492,A97, or 31.64 per
cent, as compared with the 11-month
period Of 1920, while the Montgomery
Ward decrease was 1901 per cent.
During Noven ber, the two houses to-
gether lost $40 9,495.Q22 in sales, as
con- pared with their sales of Noven ber
1920. Their sales volume com bined,
up to Decemb ber l of this year, was
$108,257, ,21O below that of the Jan
uary- Decerr Der period of 1920.
These losses have been attributed
to the farmers decreased purchasing
power by reason of price declines in
farm. products. But retail merchants
in rural districts are generally reported
as enjoying an increase in sales volume
equal to that of retailers in the large
cities. The favorable showing of the
rural reatilers is attributable to a
variety of causes which are apart from
the wide popular tendency to buy at
the reduced prices. Among these
causes are included new merchandising
methods, extensive advertising, fresh
stocks Of merchandise on sale at very
narrow profit margins and the appeal
which the fresh merchandise makes
where the goods are seen when bought.
Lets Get Busy!