Evening star., 1948-11-28
Yu|e Shopping
Spurts Suddenly
After Slow Start.
Dealers Predictions
OF Record Season Are
Tempered by Caution

iSsI'PSiS0 Oy NoutioH
Christmas shopping here has de-
veloped into sudden rush after
making a slow start due partly to
election uncertainties" merchants
reported yesterday.
Crowds, described as "tremen-
dous" and terrific" jammed depart
ment stores and speciality shops Fri
day and yesterday. This, in the
opinion of many dealers, not only
marked an auspicious beginning for
the Christmas sales season but also
indicated "a return to q historical
prewar mercantile pattern"
Before the war Christmas shop
pers did not really get going until
after Thanksgiving, it was explained.
During the war, with an unprece-
dented heavy civilian consumer de-
mand and acute shortages in almost
every line of civilian goods, Yuletide
buying was going strong in early
November.
Many Reasons Cited.
Words of caution as well as re-
ports of "tough' and "spotty" busi-
ness in some lines, however, accom-
panied general predictions by de-
partment store officials that Christ
mas shopping, in volume of sales and
receipts, might set new records here
this year. The predictions also were
tempered by comments such as
"one day doesn't make a season."
Practically all large and small
store representatives surveyed yes
terday said business during the last
two days surpassed the two days
following Thanksgiving last year.
Good weather, the four-day holiday
for many people and post Thanks
giving sale offerings were among
reasons cited for the big crowds.
But luxury goods and items such
as refrigeratorS, radios, washing
machines and various appliances
are moving so slowly that some
speciality shops in particular have
been suffering heavy losses, dealers
declared.
Revival of credit and installment
buying controls has not -appreciably
affected department store sales, an
executive of one of the largest Wash
ington establishment said. He and
others agreed it has "softened' de-
mand for high cost clothing such as
fur coats and certain types of house
hold furnishings.
Called "Shot in the Arm"
Most of the merchants frankly
called the post Thanksgiving busi-
ness a shot in the arm at time
when they were beginning TO worry
over the slow pickup in sales.
The situation, they explained, was
not as bad here as in many other
major cities, particularly Baltimore,
according to recent Federal Reserve
District reports. But election un-
certainties" was particular problem
in Washington and undoubtedly
played an important role in keeping
and specially store buy
ing unusually light and often un-
steady until recently, dealers said.
I'VE believe the election had lot
to do with the Slowness of business
in Washington this fall" an of1icial
of one organization with four large
branches here said. Undoubtedly
a lot of Government employees held
off buying because they didn't know
whether they would stay here. Now
that the election is settled things
seem to be getting back to normal
Another official listed the follow
ing main causes for the pre-Thanks-
giving lag in business: Credit con-
;rols, high prices, election year con-
ditions and larger store stocks which
apparently led many people to
believe they had plenty Of time to
start buying"
Luxury Items Tagging.
Department store and speciality
shop sales in Washington have been
gaining gradually in recent weeks"
he continued, but not at the same
rate Of increase we expected as
result of the spring sales showing.
Business Is still off in luxury items
and that is general throughout the
country.
After the crowds we had today
and yesterday we are convinced
Christmas shopping has started in
a big way. We are not going out on
a limb to predict that it will be the
biggest on record, but there certainly
is no feeling of pessimism and we
confidently expect to be busy from
here on in to Christmas"
Several store proprietors dealing
in radios told gloomier story. The
retail radio business is really
tough" they reported.
Sales Of Records Rise.
Photograph record sales, on the
other hand, shared in the after
Thanksgiving rush, although during
the past month the turnover has
not been as big as at this time last
year.
One of the most encouraging
signs for a squirt in Christmas shop
ping, dealers said, Is in the shoe
market. The manager of a large
retail shoe store said shoes are not
strictly a Christmas shopping item,
but their sale is often an index to
general buying trends at this sea-
SON."
up until Thanksgiving the shoe
sales have been only about what
they were a year ago, which was
below 1916" he observed. "Yester-
day and today they have started
up pretty good. The demand has
been much heavier than last year
Well have to wait and see If this
goes on to Christmas"
Toy sales also have begun to in
crease slightly after an unusually
slow start. Dealers hesitated to pre-
dict the trend between now and
Christmas, but they reported toy
stocks are more plentiful and varied
this season than for several wears