The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-12-19
Holiday Buying
In Farmville Is
On Bright Side
Merchants Say
Sales Are Ahead
OF Last Years
By BEN BOWERS

ny BEN bOWENS
The Christmas shopping picture
in Farmville looks bright as mer-
chants prepare for the last min
ute rush of the remaining five
gift-buying days ~
That's the general impression
gained from some of the larger
variety and department stores in
town. To date. all stores surveyed
indicate sales are topping last
years Christmas buying season
with the exception Of one firm.
Leland B. Sanford, head of the
Retail Trade Committee, de-
scribes the shopping activity as
fine" He noted that the crowds
in town seem larger this year
than last. and appeared pleased
with the response to night shop
ping hours here. Police Chief Otto
S. Overton agrees with him on the
crowds.
For his own store in the shop
ping center, Sanford said. I'VE
are pleased with the Christmas
buying at our new place of bust
ness. It is definitely ahead of last
year."
New Trends
Several new trends have been
revealed in the current shopping
season. TV toys are in top de-
mand. Santa will be distributing
a lot Of them Christmas eve, a
half dozen different stores say.
Night shopping hours are being
utilized more this time than ever
say a number of merchants. Ac-
ceptance of night hours by custo-
mers. however, was described by
managers in all sorts of ways.
The response to a question. How
is night shopping going?' ranged
from very good to not so good.
E. Weinberg at The Hub de-
scribeS the seasonal business as
about the same as last year"
He said, 80 far the Christmas
buying has been alright" He
noted that the trend this year is
toward more substantial items
rather than the frivolous things.
Weinberg added that he is very
pleased with the acceptance of
his new store. the Hub Bootery.
which opened as the Christmas
period got under way.
Area Customers
At NeWberry's, Raymond L.
Carper said. "Sales are running
ahead Of last year as the people
are buying more higher priced
items than ever before Elk
remely pleased with night shop
ping at his store. Carper said he
stayed open a couple of extra
nights and had an overflow crowd
each time. A new manager in.
town, Carper said he had taken
notice of the fact that customers
seem to be coming into Farmville
from a large area. He also noted
that shoppers do not appear to be
in hurry.
T. K. Baldwin al. Baldwin's said
Our store at the end of last week
was running about the same as
last year even though there was
one less shopping day than year
ago." He noted that his sales for
the year are now between five
and eight per cent ahead of last
year.
Night Shopping Good
Leggett's, which had an extern
sive enlargement and remodeling
Of its store during the year. finds
the manager, U. B. Morris, very.
pleased with the way people have
responded to the store this sea-
son. Morris said,, Things are
equally as good as last year.
Sales last week were better than
those of the same week a year
ago. He reports that the trend
toward b tier merchandise is
"vefy evident" this season. He
termed night shopping as very
good"
Dave Crute at Southside Sun
dry reports. Christmas sale S
"ahead of last year" He termed
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