Evening star., 1923-11-01
STORE SAlESSH0W
GAINS OVER 1922.
Women's Apparel in Steady
Demand Over All Parts
of Country.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special Dispatch to The star.
NEW YORK, November 1.-WomenS
apparel and piece goods departments
in retail stores throughout the ceun-
try registered consistent gains in
September over the same month last
year, according to an announcement
by r. L, Blanke OF the National Re-
tall Dry Goods Association. While
many other departments made gains
over the previous September's sales,
the Increase In sales of fabrics and
garments, as reflected in the associa-
tion's sales barometer. appear to be
most strongly sustained.
The departmental sales report,
which is issued each month In COM
junction with the sales barometer
digest of total store sales by federal
reserve districts, indicates the aver
age gain or loss in every Important
tfon of the country. The sales
barometer for September. issued early
in October. gave figure of 6 per cent
as the gain In total sales at retail by
department stores for the whole
country. as compared with the same
month of last year.
Declines Also Nstea.
While the great majority OF depart
ments in these stores showed gains
OF moderate proportions. II is notices
able that larger number of declines
were reported in September than In
any Of the four preceding months.
1t was stated by Mr.. Bianke that this
might be. accounted for In part by
the fact that there was one less busi-
ness day this September than In 1s2a,
and that thep was a marked i'm
PROVEN ht in retail business during
the fs OF 1922 over the earlier
months OF that year.
women's apparel Department. for sep
temeer are somewhat smaller than
was the case for August. The per-
centages of gain for September in
these departments are; Coats, IL per
cent? suits. l per cent tdecline); !;
cent: misses, per cent; fnrs, 9 per
cent; janiers' and girls, per cent /:
blouses, 2 per cent, sweaters, 20 per
cent; millinery. per cent.
Gains Over 1922 Sales.
For the year Of 1928 to the end Of
september the women's apparel de-
ments show the following gains
oyer the same period of 1922: Coats,
ls per cent; suits, 6 per cent; skirts,
10 per cent; dresses, Is per cent |;
misses. 10 per cent; .furs, IA per cent !;
juniors and girls 10 per cent: blouses,
4 per cent; sweaters, s per cent. and
millinery, per cent It 10 apparent
from a comparison of the figures for
the month and the year to date that
the september increases were below
the years average in most Of the gar
ment departments
The highest departmental gains re-
ported fer the month of September
were: Sweaters, 20 per cent: dress
goods, 10 per cent; umbrellas and
y1te1 mi a.
linoleums, II per cent. On the ether
hand the greatest percentage OF de-
cline was reported by the neckweaf
and veilings departments, with per
cent loss. While laces. trimmings.
embroideries, notions. handkerchfefs,
ported g 3 per cent decline TOR the
month From 1922.
Advances Ter the year.
For the year to date the best gains
are reported by the following depart
mehts: Silks and yelvets, 10 per cent;
dress goods, Is per cent; skirts,
dresses, misses, rugs carpets and
linoleums. with Is per cent in each
case. The only departments reflect
Ing decreases for the same period are
neckwear and veilings and notions,
with S per cent. The umbrella de-
pArtment, which was In the loss coll
umn IN august, mas a ] per cent gain
for the year as d result of q good
gain In Gales in the month OF Sep
tember
In the piece goods departments
dress goods is found in the lead for
the month, with = Is per cent In
crease over lS2l This department
reports an per cent increase in sales
for this npnth; domestics, I per cent
and linens, per cent Coed gains
continue to be shown in these depart
ments for the year to date, silks ana
velvets leading with a 10 per cent
gain over 1922. and dress goods close
behind with Is per cent; domestfcs re-
ports per cent gala and linens 8 per
cent.