Evening star., 1932-12-09
TRADE GAIN BRINGS
RUSH or recorders
Retail Sales Volume Forces
Many Wholesalers to
Speed Deliveries.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


NEW YORK, December 9.-Increased
retail trade volume. resulting from
Christmas buying, has so lowered in
ventories in the last few days that
wholesalers here have received numer-
Gus recorders for holiday merchandise
for immediate delivery.
Industrial operations, however, have
receded slightly from a week ago
though some lines, like textiles, where
preparations for Spring lines are being
made, have maintained production
above the average of year ago.
Retail sales gains at this season are
important, for some concerns depend
on such business to keep from falling al
failures. because Of accumulated obliga-
tions, always increase in December even
in good times. This year the increase
has been less than seasonal.
Christmas purchases in many cities
to date have exceeded in unit volume
though not in dollars, those for the
same period of last year. Most prices
however, are the lowest in a decade
which naturally reduces total dollar
sales. Last week the emphasis was al
most entirely on practical gifts. such as
wearing apparel. accessories and house
hold articles. but in the current week
demand for novelties, jewelry, books and
perfume has quickened.
Quality Stressed.
Response to toy promotions has been
good, though 1t is noticeable this year
that the local department stores are
employing fewer demonstrators than a
year ago. Everywhere merchants are
stressing quality, though popular priced
items naturally are moving more freely
than those in the higher-priced brackets.
Commenting on this trend, r. G. Dun
& Co. observes that there is tendency
on the part of retail trade to stiffen
prices, with q similar trend developing
in the wholesale and light manufac-
turing fields"
Indeed, this was the theme of the
business world here this week-"bllsi-
ness at profit" Several concerns
fatty refused orders that promised
them no profits. One of them. the
Slater Co., finishers, informed the trade
that we will no longer process work
on which we cannot obtain a fair re-
turn on q normal basis of operations. ''
Trade in towns which depend on
farm buying" Dun's reports, ''is slow,
and many good sized Central Western
communities have deferred their dis
PAayo "a 1iIu0dy SOOOS uIllll IU1Q-De-
cember, in contrast to the first of the
month, which heretofore has been the
universal date for the inauguration of
the Christmas selling season.
Due to Coal Movement.
The current rise in car loadings is
said to be due almost entirely to coal
movements. as cold weather reduced
the small piles of such fuel.
Most of the buyers here this week,
aside from those looking over Spring
lines, sought to fill in requirements, for
their pre-holiday promotions met better
than expected response. The former
class OF purchasers bought sparingly of
high-grade. full-fashioned hosiery, but
freely ordered rayon underwear sets.
Buyers also replenished stocks of mems
furnishings, especially items like rayon
bathrobes, ensemble rayon underwear,
muflers, silk shirts, gloves and suspend
erS. The is per cent wage increase to
tailorS means an advance in the price
Of mems Spring clothing.
Pewter ware sales, so wholesalers say,
are down 20 per cent from year ago.
but small electrical appli6nces and
beverages sets are meeting Increased de-
mand. Bag. suitcase and trunk manu-
facturers report satisfactory holiday
sales compared with a year ago Hard
ware is steady. Rubber goods show no
signs Of immediate Improvement.
Copyright. 1932J