Evening star., 1940-12-25
YuIe Gift Sales Here
And in Whole j. :.
Smash Records
Shoppers Still CIomoring
To Buy When Stores
In D. c. Close

S4llASIll SllOppSIo Ill
ton rang down the curtain on Yule-
tide buying in the first year of the
Hateful forties" last night in a
surge of spending unequaled in the
Capitals history
The large department stores closed
their doors at pm while the last
minute brigade" of shoppers was still
clamoring to buy gifts. Many smaller
stores remained open until IL pm.
Edward D. Shaw, executive secre-
tary of the Merchants and Manu-
facturers Association, pointed out
-<that 0000 more persons are on Gov
ernment pay rolls here this year in
announcing that all reports indi-
cate Washington firms had a record
Christmas sales volume. With data
not yet complete, he said a turn
over approximately is per cent above
last year was indicated.
Whole U. S. Shared Prosperity.
The Christmas buying here was in
step with the rest of the country.
From across the Nation came reports
like these:
Best shopping season in my
memory
The biggest since 1929"
"Never saw anything like it,"
They were issued by some of the
country's largest merchants, by
heads of chambers of commerce and
trade associations and by individual
corporations engaged in the manu-
facture of Christmas goods.
Economic analysts and psycholo-
gists alike took a hand in telling
why.
Economists attributed it to the ire
mendous sweep and magnitude of
the Governments armament pro-
gram.
Psychological interpretations said
1t was the war that RACES over much
of the earth's surface and affects
a majority of the people of the
world that was responsible for this
~ extraordinary outpouring of buying
and giving.
Psychologists Offer Views.
Full counters of good and food in
plentitude, contrasted with strict ra
tioning of everything but powder
and guns in warning countries: the
realization that much might happen
before another occasion of this sort
presents itself; the thousands of
mothers who for the first time eX-
perienced the sensation of sending
their sons to an Army training camp
all these and many more factors
went to make up the mental back
ground against which a nation gave
expression to itself this Christmas,
these experts said.
There was a multitude of proofs
that something unusual really had
taken place. Christmas card sellers
said never before had they expert
enced such a rush: people who had
not heard from friends or acquaint-
anceS in years were pleasantly sur
prised to get a greeting. Postmen
throughout the country struggled
with the biggest loads of Yuletide
mail in years. Railroads and other
forms of transportation had the
biggest volume of holiday traffic
since the '20s and in individual in
stances passenger travel set records.
Dun & Bradstreet, Nationwide
: mercantile agency, said:
Reports indicate shoppers fin
>ished up Christmas buying in a
splurge Of activity which in many
cities is above even the most opti-
rnistic expectations of merchants.
Unit Sales Record Set.
Holiday trade volume is reported
to have exceeded all years since
1929 in dollar volume and to have
set a new record high in unit sales"
Individual reports from leading
centers follow:
Atlanta-Christmas trade was es-
timated by the Atlanta Credit Bu-
reau at upward of $35 900 900, setting
all-time high. Richard Rich, vice
president of a leading department
store, said: Last year we went over
1929 mark and this years trade is
considerably over that of a year
ago. -" The demand was strong
on the last day"
st. Louis-Departmen store sales
likely to show gains up to 10 per cent
over last year, with indications vol
ume may prove greatest since 1890.
Chicago-David Mayer, jr., presi-
dent of State Street Council, said
this years Christmas business best
since 1929 and will represent an
average gain of 10 per cent over last
year. There was a definite improve
ment in demand for better class
merchandise.
Cincinnati-Lynn Revenaugh, head
of Retail Merchants Association,
said holiday buying would equal or
exceed 1887, which was the best since
1929. Merchants were caught fiat
footed Monday" he added, when an
expected drizzle of buying turned out
to be a cloudburst."
Big Gains Everywhere.
New Orleans-Associatio of Com
merce officials said Christmas busi-
ness "way up over last year with
some stores reporting the best since
1929. One wholesaler reported larg-
est business in history with national
defense spending figuring in.
delphia-Chamber of Com
merce officials "conservatively" es-
timated Christmas sales 7 to per
cent above year ago and best since
1929" StraWbridge g. Clothier said
Every much better than last year.
Buying was heavy over the week end
and Monday sales exceeded eXpecta-
tions"
Miami-Burdines largest depart
ment store, reported sales 10 per cent
above year ago and second best
in its 42-year history. Miami Credit
Bureau reported the largest volume
of business in its 9-year existence.
olumbus-Departm stores es-
timated sales to 10 per cent bet
ter than in 1889 and equal to boom"
years of 1929.
Baltimore Gain 10 Per Cent.
Baltimore-Albert Hutzler, presi-
dent of Hutzler Brothers, said, This