Evening star., 1941-03-24
Fear Of Shortages
Spurs Demand for
Home Furnishings
Merchandise Mart Head
Reports 20.3 Per Cent
Guin Over 1910
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHICAGO, March 24.-Threaten-
ing temporary shortage Of goods in
home furnishing industries created
by defense demands for aluminium,
zinc, brass, certain woods, and other
basic materials, was responsible for
a heavy QUITO season buying squirt
that boosted sales 203 per cent
ahead of 1910 figures and to level
only 81 per cent below January, one
of the two peak months in home
furnishings buying, Percy Wilson,
managing director of The Merchan-
disc Mart. said today following COM
pletion Of a sales survey Of ! 982
lines represented in the Mart.
Retail store buyers are reported
to be making every effort to increase
inventories to protect the consumer
with stock should the curtailment of
production continue" Mr.. Wilson
said. The problems of the manu-
facturer became tWo-fold during
February with the issuance of a
priority list of materials to be used
for defense purposes and the drain
of skilled labor from factories pro-
ducing consumer goods to manu-
facturers with defense orders.
February Record Set.
The outstanding sales record was
made during February by furniture
manufacturers who reported a gain
in sales totaling 1872 per cent over
the same period with February sales
dropping, but 40 per cent under
the January records. Wood Short
ages that threaten to cuTtail furni-
ture production includes gumwood,
used extensively in the production of
veneerS which can be purchased in
limited quantities only since large
corporations producing defense Or
derS have absorbed the reserve sup
ply. Mahogany supplies in the
United States have diminished be-
cause of a shortage of bottoms trans
porting from South America and the
Philippines. Several manufacturers
reported difficulty in obtaining cured
walnut.
flOOI CONtIlllS SdASS OIOppeu OuG
per cent below January totals,
level considerably above average
seasonal buying, with sales totaling
324 per cent above the same period
a year ago. The majority OF lead
ing soft surface carpet manufac-
turers have announced a per cent
increase in prices fundamentally
created by rising labor expense.
Hard surface floor covering manu-
facturers have reported no price
increases since January.
Housewares in Demand.
Housewares, the home furnishing
industry most vitally affected by
the limited distribution of raw ma
terials, felt the retailers reaction
with a % per cent increase in sales
over the same period in 1910 and
3 per cent above January totals.
Manufacturers representatives re
ported that retailers are attempting
to protect themselves by laying in
reserve houseware stocks sufficient
to last the balance of the year.
Orders for aluninumware and
other items made of aluminium were
prorated during February, manufac-
turers revealed. Despite raw ma
terial shortages and the growing
scarcity of aluminumware, prices
have not advanced since the general
January l ten per cent increase.
Earthenware, glass and enamelware
manufacturers listed the greatest
increases in sales, which occurred
during the last two weeks OF Feb
ruary. Major appliance manufac-