Evening star., 1934-12-10
YULET|D[ BUYING
APPROACHES 1929
And Capital Leads Nation
in Upward Sweep, One
Third Above 1888.

By the Associated Press.
The swiftest flow Of Christmas
spending in years Is swirling in on
the Nations merchants.
A survey today showed that Christ
mas trade in many cities was at the
highest pitch Of 1929 or 1880, and
ranged as high as 331s per cent above
last year.
Department stores and mail order
houses bristled with bullish enthu-
siasm, and predicted even sharper
gains as the holiday approaches.
In Chicago. in San Francisco and
in Kansas City, the question, How
good is Christmas business?" brought
the unanimous answer:
BEST in years!"
Employment Gains.
And with the burst of trade came
increased employment, all along the
line, with 500 department and gift
store employees added recently in Kan
sas City.
Washington, with its influx of New
Deal workers, made claim to leading
the Nation in improvement in Christ
mas sales over last year with a gen.
eral Is per cent gain over the same
week a year ago. The number OF
Government workers here has in
creased from $4,000 to $4,000 in a
year.
In Dallas, Clifton Linz, president of
the Retail Merchants Association
there, said increased sales thus far
substantially better than the same
period in 1885," had virtually wiped
out talk of hard times.
In St. Louis, where business is IS
per cent ahead Of last year, mer-
chants reported that a striking fea-
ture of the season Is the appeal bet
'ter quality goods has made to the GUS
toner.
San Francisco, where the gain has
already been from 10 to 20 per cent,
looked for a buying boom" before
Christmas which would shatter rec
ords of several years.
Other Gains Reported.
The gains reported by stores in
other cities over last year we're:
Pittsburgh. 1913 per cent; Houston.
Nh.s ~ pei SCAAty Auotlhs Ca, ~ pei
cent; Oklahoma City, 10 per cent:
waukee, 20 per cent.
Salt Lake City department store
managers reported Christmas business
was 25 to 40 per cent better than last
year, and that buying began 10 days
sooner than in 1888.
One executive predicted this sea-
sons total would top the previous
peak. that of 1881.
Estimates Of the gain this year over
1888 in Minneapolis ranged from 10 to
Is per cent with all executives report
ing their stores crowded with shoppers.
The same story was told by In
dianapolis store managers whit a re-
port that luxury lines and toys are
selling more readily" than last year.
Many stores in Portland, Me, were
caught short Of help in the unexpected
increase in Christmas business. with
estimates Of the first weeks buying set
as high as 80 per cent more than last
year. There, too, store operators re-
ported the demand was for better
grade goods than last year.
Advertising Budgets Up.
F. d. Corley, vice president of Mar
shall Field & Co., Chicago, said it
was most gratifying to note people
buying the more expensive Christmas
gifts. Good merchandise is in de-
mand," Corley said. Our business is
considerably ahead of last year-as q
matter of fact it is better than it has
been for quite few years, and it
promises to continue right through
the season. We are spending consid-
cradle money in newspaper advertis-
ing"
A new sales tax of per cent, effec-
tive today, gave added meaning to the
old slogan, do your Christmas shop
ping early" in New York. With thou
sands Of customers swarming through
their stores, merchants agreed that
Saturday was the biggest dollar vol
ume day this year. They expressed
divided opinions. however, as to
whether it was because of the i'm
pending sales tax, the bright, crisp
weather, or an increase in purchasing
power.
Thomas Lewis, secretary-treasurer
Of Frederick g. Nelson's Store, Seattle,