Evening star., 1942-01-25
Nation in Grip
Of Buying Rush.;
Results Feared
Both Retailers and U.S..
OfficioIs Face New
Supply Problems
By FRANK MACMEILEN,
Wide World Business Writer.

NEW YORK, Jan. 24.-Tne coun-
try, for the second time in six
months, is In the grip of wave OF
buying in retail stores and both
merchandisers and Government Of
ficials are worried about some of the
likely consequences.
The drop in store business after
Christmas was brief and less than
normal and within the last two
weeks a strong buying tide has set
in and is embracing not only poten-
tally scarce goods but nearly every
thing Mr.. and Mrs. Householder
buy.
The experts call what is going on
a consumer inventory problem,
which means only that Americans
are on a buying spree and that a
substantial part Of what they are
buying is going into the pantry, the
clothes closet, the tool chest and a
dozen other home hideaways and
not into immediate consumption.
In normal times many of these
goods, ranging from canned foods
and hand tools to shoes and sugar,
still would be on merchants shelves,
not destined actually to be used for
weeks to come
Covers Wide Field.
This sweep of money is flowing
into more kinds of things than the
wave which hit the stores last Au-
gust and September, but, retail men
say, 1t seems to have less pan
icky" quality than last summers
episode.
The character of things being
bought, except sugar, pineapple
juice, spices and few others, in
dicates rather a planned stocking
Of things that may be scarce or of
inferior quality later, retailers re-
ported.
But, they pointed out, the un-
usual buying has caught many re-
tailers off balance, creating prob
lens for them and their suppliers.
And, If it continues too long, 1t
may bring whole host of price and
civilian supply questions to Leon
HenderSon's division of the new War
Production Board.
Merchandise experts had been
reconciled for months to the scarcity
bound to develop in many kinds of
hard goods" as war drained the
supplies OF metals, building supplies
and similar things.
The hope they express now Is that
soft goods" foods, clothing, shoes,
metal notions of many kinds. hot
water bottles and household rubber
goods, drugs, radios and soap, can
be marketed in sufficiently orderly
way so that there Is a fair chance
OF keeping supply somewhere in line
with demand and Of avoiding the
artificial" shortages which come
when people buy things they may
not need for months.
But recent trade reports indicate
it is exactly this sort CT merchandise
being taken from the shelves.
Difficulties Needless.
The resulting shortages, often
temporary, create needless difficult
ties both for merchant and GUS
toner, it was pointed out.
Trade journals in recent weeks
have emphasized repeatedly the role
the merchant ought to play in dis
couraging customers-even good
ones-from buying things they do
not need.
The sugar industry, from reflners
through wholesalers to retailers, has
been developing an informal ration
ing in which each seller is expected
to keep his customers to a reason
able relationship to their past needs.
Procedures have varied considerably
from area to area and store to store,
1t was said. A Government ration
ing system is acknowledged to be in
preparation.
But, even considering sugar as a
more or less isolated case of con-
sumner buying gone wild" the gen.
eral implication of a countrywide
dash to the stores Is disturbing,
businessmen said.
Business Week said today:
I'm an orderly, unhurried market,
the supply of necessary consumer
goods . would be, If not plenti-
full, at least sufficient to go around.
But the current scramble may
reduce store inventories so sharply
that the stores themselves will
be rationers of goods-picking and
choosing their best customers-and
the temptation to raise prices will
be hard to resist"