Evening star., 1939-12-05
Spring Store Buying
Cautious as Result
Of Early Easter
Experts Forecast Sales
Gain Over 1889 of
About 10 Per Cent
BY PAUL ID. GESNER,
Associated Press Business Writer

| Associated Press Business writer.
NEW YORK, Dec. 5.-With next
Easter falling the earliest In the
year since 1918, retail merchants
along Main street in towns from
coast to coast are reported gauging
purchases of spring merchandise
cautiously.
But despite conservative store
buying policies trade experts gen.
orally agreed that the volume OF
spring retail business may run
close to 10 per cent above the pre-
ceding year. the gain paralleling
the 10 per cent rise anticipated III
this years Christmas business, If
the Nation witnesses an early break
ing up of winter.
The outlook for early spring re-
tail sales of Women's, mems and
childrens apparel, along with house.
hold supplies and miscellaneous
merchandise seemed to hinge on two
vital factors:
l. The customers pocketbook.
2. Old man weather.
On the first score, observers sp-
peared almost universally in &C
cord in the belief the coming Of
spring would probably find ample
funds in the average family's purse
for new Easter flnery and other
seasonal goods.
Starts Spring Season.
Easter, which falls on March "a
next year, the earliest in l22 years
traditionally is regarded as the first
day for donning new spring ap-
parel. The Easter parade from home
to church and back again In thou
sands of communities is ed-letter
occasion.
Should clement weather develop
shortly before Easter, cash registers
should jingle pleasantly in retail
stores as customers crowd the ap-
parel departments.
However, if Easter finds bitter
winter winds still blowing, the pace
of early buying might be slowed.
The Easter season. merchants
point out, usually spurs not only
apparel sales, but general trade as
we'll. People who come to town to
shop for clothes as rule make it
a buying day." and sales of other
seasonal goods expand as well.
First spring sales of seeds, shrubs,
garden tools, paint, golf clubs, base
balls, automobile tires, gasoline,
vacuum cleaners, general house
cleaning aids, carpenters tools,
bicycles, marbles. shoes, furniture
and a thousand other household
commodities usually begin perking
up during the Easter shopping
period.
Inventories Conservative.
Wholesalers report merchants cau-
tious on forward commitments.
Christmas stocking has remained
conservative. even though it is con-
ceded gift shopping should run 10
per cent above last year.
THE policy of the average store
seems to be to order goods gingerly,
then replenish shelves through re-
orders as items are sold out" one
wholesaler said. Merchants gener-
ally have been keeping forward or
ders at minimum for over 18
months now, and unless price rises
threaten or recorder delivery snags
develop, they're likely to continue
buying only for immediate needs or
the near-term.
The usual practice in trade today
seems to be for the wholesaler,
rather than the retailer, to bear the
burden of maintaining inventories.
However, recently there has been a
little Tightening for the wholesaler.
While retail store inventories in the
New York metropolitan area and
some parts of the East are under a
year ago, many merchants in the
West and Far West are maintaining
heavier stocks of goods.