CHRISTMAS TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 304, 22 December 1903, Page 3

CHRISTMAS TRADE.

SATISFACTORY SEASON.

The advent of Christmas is always hailed with pleasure by the shop-keep-er, to whom the season means a largely increased volume of business, with a corresponding increase in profits. This year the Christmas trade was somewhat interfered with by the wretched weather which prevailed up till the middle of last week, but a reaction from this has set iii with fine weather. Another cause which it was anticipated would tenj to the decline of trade was the Veterans' Bazaar, but this year was scarcely realised, and the last few days have seen excellent business done. After all, the bazaar only side-iracked £2300, which is not a great deal to take from a spending population of about eighty thousand, and which very largely came from the pockets of those who could well afford to spend.

A tour of some of the principal businesses of the t'ity to-day revealed the fact that generally speaking retailers are in au optimistic mood as to the total trade they will achieve before the season closes, the last three days being, of course, those on which the greatest volume of trade is usually done. The weather is an extremely important factor in a Christmas trade; given fine weather to-morrow and on Christmas Eve shopkeepers will have little cause for complaint, and stock laid in in anticipation of a good season will very probably be dissipated.

Coming to details a prominent clothier reported that the trade so far had scarcely hed the buoyancy and elasticity of last year. There was scarcely the increase this year over the trade of last season that was experienced that season as compared with the preceding. This he ascribed largely to the weather, and was of opinion that the bazaar had not affected his returns at all.

In the fancy goods line the report was that business had been duller than usual up till a few days ago. In the face of a crowded shop and a continued filing in and out of customers the same complaint was not applicable to to-day, and before the season closes a satisfactory return is expected. Drapers. jeM'ellers and grocers all told the same satisfactory story of a plentiful supply of customers, though money was not as plentiful as fast year. A jeweller pointed out that business was abnormally good in his line during the 1902 season because the' TPturn contingenters and the progress of such big undertakings as the Auckland tramway construction made money circulate more freely. "We cannot look glum," added the smiling tradesman, "for this year shows the proper increase of business compared with average years, and although customers do not leave as much individually are more numerous." Drapers find the public harder to please this season. "Lots of customers, but small ones," was the opinion of a leading tradesman, who blamed the Veterans' Home Bazaar as well as the recent execrable weather for the money tightness. Fair weather or foul. English people must hare the Christmas pudding and an extra supply of eatables during the Christmas season, so the grocers report a steady business, the larger ones being very pleased with the general development of business. Christmas is evidently going to be a season of plenty with most Aueklander3. There always is the pitiful background of the poor, but very few will be pinched in Auckland this season, for various religious denominations have undertaken the practical Christian work of relieving necessity, this being done in a systematic way which does not stop at Christmas trees and tin toys, but includes the provision of good Christmas fare, and clothes where needed.