Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-04-10

Review Of Retail Trade
/. Promises Steady Business
RetteFment

New; York, April 9.-Business i'm
pE0vement persists and, according to
inc April Review Of, Retail Trade
by the National Retail Dry
EeGas Association, promises steady II
w pettermen$ compared with last
The Federal Reserve Board figures
Of trade for the country at large at
n close of February, derived from
computations embracing reports from
4~44~leading department.. stores, show
a2decrease of net sales during Febru-
ary, as compared with those OF Fehrn-
arv, lS2l, amounting to 10 l-2 per
cent. For February and January Of.
this year, as compared with. net sales
during the corresponding period in.
1921, the decrease vas ~. per sent.
Stocks in hand February 2g, as COM
nared with that date iass year, were
per cent greater, and they Weret
S.2 percent greater, than ut the close
OF January. Orders outstanding on
February rs amounted to ia ofSthe
total purchases made by all stores In;
the course of'the year 1924. .
These fgHres--nptahly the percent
ages anpIying to net sales during
February and Januapy-m4st be In
terpreted in the light Of the cost of
living index figures asse mbled by the
National Ind ustFial Conference board.
shoWing..a decline o. 10 IL" per cent
in price value, of. goods and services
at retail from February, 1921, TO;
February 1892. 1t is apparent, in,
increase in, volume OF merchandise
sold, noted in these dispatches at the
close Of 1891, steadily continues and
that the. Rp-called buyers strike, re-
ported then as definitely Of the past,
has left no aftermath of lack of con-
fdence on. the part of the consuming
public. In fact, there is now in EVIL
dence q perceptibie increase of con-
' fdenee accompanying the renewal OF
business activity. &
Certain basic industries, including
iron and Steel and construction, show
return of activity. Unemployment was
diminishing IN to the time Of the
miners' strike. and the buying eapac-
ity of the public meanwhile Increased.
Seasonal conditions by no means ac-
count fully for the Improvement hin
be low n the public responds to
the attraction they offer. Replenish-
ing orders by retailers arc restoring
confidence among wholesalers and
producers, who note, particularly the
receipt OF many repeat orders at a
date much later than is usual in vari-
U sections.
"A vast volume, Of business is being
forfeited at this tilnetin the field OF
age Of supplies and equipment. Al
though the WESTINGHOUSE interests
only a single mefnbesSfseNf' the Radio
Corporation OF AinsFf1a,. are sproduc-
ing $e,QO6.ltO WORTH, instruments
monthly, the savalanchASpf demand on
the part OF public this and
ali other spnrces ofsssuppW far be-
hind the potential sales.
This paucity of wireless merchan-
disc bears most heavily pn depart
ment and similar stores, in the an
alysis of the radio trade situation
made by the Bureau of. Research Of
the National Retail Dry Goods Asso-
citation. Immediately upon stabiliza,
ton of the business, tho Bureau q
Research announces, department ana
other American stores engaged ~
looked to for yearly sales amounting
toll SO, 00O ,O00-a modest l per cen
OF. the. $1,000, 900 900 in retail. trade
done by all such stores in the course
Of one year. 1t ~ pointed out tina.
, practical, satisfactory radio sets witt
: magnifer and otherwise fully equip
ped. cannot be provided at the low
charges for present experimental out
fits. This puts them on q mar Wttl
now by such stores and amounting IL
volume to 1905. 900, 900 annually. Thu
Research Bureau dWeMs emphaticall,
on the feature Of service in connec
ton with wireless as being a prime
essential to the great volume of bust
ness impending. but SO far halket
by lack Of supplies. and observes tina
department and similar stores arc tn
only. distributing agencies qualified t,
furnish service On the extensive seal,
required.
- Wireless apparatus. is likely Ito. h
anon the CONSPICUOUS features of An
National Merchandise Fair in Angus
next, that new and vast national even
being committed by its essential char
acter to ~ scope equal to II not excaed
ing the immense. Leipzig Fair 0
Europe.sa