Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-09
CAPITAL Stores
SALES HOLDING UP
Decline in First Nine Months
of Year Is Only 1.5 Per
Cent, Reserve Reports.
BY EDWARD G. STONE.

For the first nine months of the pres
eTt year department store sales in
Washington were off only is per cent
compared with the corresponding period
in 1929, according to a report made
today by the Federal Reserve Bank of
Richmond.
Department store sales in Washington
In September alone were 3.9 per cent
behind the same month last year, ac-
cording to the same report. Only
Releigh, N c., and Asheville, N. C.,
made better showing in the fifth
district.
The average in sales in the fifth dis
trict as a whole was ga per cent lower
than in Septembsr, 1929, while the first
nine months recorded a decrease of "a
per@ceft. compared with last year. This
means that the National Capital was
far ahead of the average for the district
both IN the month of September and
for the rline-month period under review.
Baltimore made the best showing Of
any city in the district for the nine
months sales being of only per cent
but in September the Monument City
reported a decline of Is psr cent. OF
the IA stores in the entire district which
sent. in September figures, only 10 re-
ported higher sales than for September,
1929, while "a stores failed to come up
to the level of the previous years busi-
ness. Considering present business con-
ditions the showing made by Washing
ton will be highly gratifying to both
merchants and bankers.
Comparisons by Reserve Districts.
In addition to the report from the
Bank of Richmond, the report on de-
partment store sales in the IL Federal
Reserve districts was also announced
today, this coming from the Federal
Reserve Board. The report shows that
sales in the local fifth district were
per cent smaller in September than the
average for the whole country, 583
stores in leading cities in the IL Federal
Reserve districts reporting decline OF
only per cent, against the Richmond
areas decline of 9 per cent in retail
sales.
The fifth district, however, has made
a far better showing than the national
average in department store sales in
the first nine months of the present
year, reporting decline OF per cent
against per cent for the country as
whole.
In September sales records New York,
Minneapolis. Atlanta, San Francisco,
Kansas City, Dallas and Philadelphia
Federal reserve districts made better
shoEings than the Richmond district.
September sales in New York were
only per cent under the retain trace
figures of September 1929. The other
districts mentioned above all had de-
clines in sales but not as large as the
fifth district.
The Richmond district, however, did
better than Chicago, Cleveland and st.
Louie, and had just the same slump in
trade that Boston reported. Chicago
suffered the most severe decline, IA
per cent, with st. Louis next, reporting
an IL per cent falling OF in retail
trade.
How Il Districts Stand.
So far as department. store, sales for
the FIRST nine months OF 1890 are con-
cerned Richmond and Boston are tied;
both districts being per cent behind
last years business at the same date.
The percentages, OF declines by districts
for. Septepber and the nine months
compared With Tire corresponding periods
a year ago, follow:
.Jarli No Of re-