Evening star., 1941-02-23
Retail Volume
OF 50 Billions
Seen in 1941
Store SoIes Already
At Highest Levels
In Eleven Years
BY FRANK McMILLEN,
A associated Press Financial Writer.

NEW YORK, Feb. 22.-Retail buy
ing by Mr.. and Mrs American
Consumer aggTegating $4,000 00O,-
900 or more was forecast today in
merchandising circles for the full
year 194l as the tempo of store sales
hit the fastest pace in IL years.
Merchants across the Nation this
past week reported cash register
dollar tallies averaging IL to 20 per
cent above the comparable 1910
period. with demand heavy for all
types Of staple goods
Wider employment, fatter pay en-
velopes in defense industry centers,
economists said provided the basis
for broadened store business that
has now spread to even more re-
mote rural shopping centers.
Some executives thought an esti-
mate of retail sales in the vicinity
of $4,000 100000 for 1941 was too
conservative. They pointed out such
a figure would represent a gain Of
only 10 per cent over last years
s45 500 100000
PRODUCTION Uncertain,
The big question mark in the
business ahead for the stores along
main street was whether the defense
program, as it expands, would
hamper production of consumer
goods.
Right now the making of air.
planes, guns, ammunition. Army
clothing, motor trucks and tanks
isn't interfering much with OUT
turn of peace-time goods. but an
other six months, business leaders
say might bring another story.
Already there are some complaints
from manufacturers of housewares
that companies making aluminium,
brass, and cast iron plates are rolling
more and more heavy sheets used
IN armament industries. and less
and less of the light sheets used in
the making of pots and pans.
Two semi official observers close
to the administration in Washing
ton-MrS. Franklin D. Roosevelt and
former American Ambassador to
France William C. Bullitt-this week
mad comments on the housewares
situation. Mrs. Roosevelt said house.
wives should begin thinking about
doing without new aluminium pots
and pans and Bullitt. in urging
speeding up Of defense activities, de-
clared faster armament building was
vital, even though such inconven-
fences as doing without new Kitchen
ware might develop.
There was also talk in Washington
about people having to go without
so many new automobiles. The auto
makers themselves have made no
official predictions on motor car sup
plies.
Auto Reserves Enlarged.
The chances seemed good, how
ever that there would be plenty Of
cars to go round this spring. Auto
makers are turning out 1900 new
cars an hour Production this week
totaled 129.24O cars and trucks,
against 127,5lO in the preceding
week and 1O2,670 a year ago.
Automobile companies are trying
10 build up large stocks Of cars so
they may be able later to man new
machines and dies and buckle down
to the urgent job of armament build
ing. Already auto concerns are pro-
ducing shells in three plants and
turning out other ammunition COM
ponents in growing volume.
An interesting development in
merchandising was broadening Of
wholesale buying. Storekeepers
since l937-when they bought far
ahead in anticipation of price rises
that proved short-lived-have pur-
sued hand-to-mouth" purchasing
policies. While the bulk of orders
in wholesale markets we're still for
immediate delivery to fill gaps on
store shelves. an increasing number
of merchants bought more literally.
The big question bothering many
consumers was this: Are prices. liv-
ing costs going up?
The answer, most analysts say is
yes and no. In many defense in
(See TRADE PAGE F-2)