Evening star., 1936-09-03
TRADE |SEXPECTED:
TO CONTINUE RISE
Autumn Brings Additional
Emphasis After Active
Summer Pace.
BY ]. G. DONLEY.
srtciaI Dispatch to The Star,

srtcial Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, September 3.-The re.
tail boom keeps on rolling along, and
the time has come when the OPENING
OF schools and colleges, with new an
parel needs thus emphasized, and the
Autumn emphasis on home furnish
lngs and housewares will give 1t new
emphasis. Merchants feel pretty con-
f1dent that September gains will al
least match the rate of improvement
which has been maintained with
hardly pause since early Spring. And
that means upping the cash register
receipts about Is per cent on the aver
age, with better showings in some OF
the more active areas.
Consumer buying has been so per-
sistent and tnsistent that it has SEEM
ed to some observers to take on the
characteristics of spending spree"
But If we look into it, we cannot but
be treasured. Whether or not it was
started by Government spending and
Is kept going in part by the same ex-
pedient, 1t appears to be gaining by
virtue Of widespread improvement in
business and employment.
Strong Trend Under Way.
The central fact to keep in mind is
that we are in a strong recovery
movement and that the tendency OF
such a movement, once started, is to
fulfill its destiny And only a little
delving in the histories of previous re.
covery movements is needed to estab-
llsh the fact that such economic phe.
nomena, in their early stages, are al
ways viewed with emotions ranging
from skepticism to lively alarm. The
lesson Of the past Is that most Of the
clouds exist only on the wrinkled
brows of anxious observers who fear
the angle of ascent will become SO
steep that business will slip back into
the depths.
Reinsurance Is gained In closer
look at retail buying. There has beer
decided squirt in buying of dry goods
-rayon and cotton yard goods. work
clothing. underwear, percales, towels
sheets and cases, blankets, bedspreads
and table linens, etc. The assumption
can hardly be other than that need
not prof1igacy, is back of that demand
The Wholesale Dry Goods Institute
has reported sales figures showing
gains in sales for the first three week,
Of August over the like period last
year ranging from 5 to IS per cent fol-
the various firms listed. Five out OF
eleven firms reporting showed gains
of 40 per cent and better. Ten out
of eighteen firms reported gains of 80
per cent or better for July over the
month last year.
Early Shipments Impossible.
Demand for work clothing has beer
such that on many lines the mills are
sold up, and early shipments are out
of the question. Another strikin,
thing, as reported by the Fedora
Reserve Bank of New York in its
monthly review of the wholesale trade
and wholesaling is the shadow cast
before coming events in retailing-is
that sales of mems clothing as COM
piled from complete reports for this
district IN July ran almost 80 per cent
higher than last year.
In the same month, preparations for
the Autumn trade boosted sales OF
rayon and silk goods by 26.6 per cent
with hardware up 1863 per cent, gro-
ceries up 15.9, stationery up l5.6,
drugs up Is per cent, and cotton
goods up 1914. We might perhaps
view the increase of $50 per cent ir
wholesale business in diamonds as
something of luxury splurge: but
may not it be partially reflection OF
the large increase in the marriage
rate? The gain of 2S8 per cent in
jewelry sales at wholesale may also
have something to do with courtship,
as well as coupon-c clipping.
(Copyright 1850