SALE, OH!

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 160, 7 July 1909, Page 5

SALE, OH!

THE RUSH FOR BARGAINS. NO DULLNESS IN TRADE. BUSINESS PEOPLE SATISFIED. "Hard times! No money to spend! Nonsense!" said a leading Auckland business man to a "Star" representative when asked what business Was like at the winter clearing sales. "Look for yourself," he continued. "There are hundreds of people thronging the counters of every department this morning, and so it has been since our sale began." This was the information vouchsafed by the business man in question, and it was corroborated by the managers of the various other emporiums visited. Evidently the bargain-hunting fever has oaught on properly, for, despite tha miserably wet morning, the shops were filled with customers, and the different departments were like human beehives. Busy attendants were rushing about in every direction, and the bargain-hunters, generally wandering in pairs, were diving into remnant baskets, sampling dress stuffs, pricing laces, and apparently enjoying to the full the opportunities for shopping which a. cheap sale •affords.-

"We've heard a lot about dull times, but since the beginning of the year we have had nothing to complain of," remarked another leading business man. "Our June -sale was a splendid success, and the volume of business done was just double that of -any previous sale. There has been no falliiig-off in any of our departments, and if trade conditions are as good until the end of the year, our business transactions for the twelve months will be entirely satisfactory." "The half year's trade has been good," was the opinion given by the manager of another leading firm, "and our winter sale, at present in progress, is quite up to the average. The period of financial stringency through which we have passed can only be said to have affected new business ventures, and those ;conne.cted with them. The general public does not seem to have felt it in any way, and the retail distributors have certainly had no cause for complaint. People appear to be in a position to spend, and business is brisk."

"Business good? Rather!" said another manager, whose firm is one of the largest doing business in Auckland. "Wβ opened on Monday, and the weather has not been in our favour, but it has not made any difference. So far we have quite held our , own with last year's sale, and if the weather had been fine we would no doubt have done a good deal better. . Ours is a cash business, and we always know the state of the pockets of the All ,the year business has been good, and this sale we find that they have money to spend, and are willing to spend' it freely. Another criterion of the times ie the fact that customers generally are buying goods of a better quality. Throughout this sale we have .had. evidence of the desire on the part of patrons to secure things that are good, as well as cheap. Likewise, from the business done in our mail department, it is easy to get our fingers on the financial pulse of the country people. Since the beginning of the year" our country business has been most satisfactory, and it is evident that country residents have found the seasons good', and money i anything but scarce. In fact, without ■ hesitation, I can say that -we know nothing of hard times or dullness in trade. In tie last eight years our business has more than, doubled, and there is every reason to believe that ire are going to continue to prosper. Admittedly there are a good many unemployed with whom we come in contact, and the number of drapers asking, for work at. present is greater than ever known before. Most of them are new arrivals from England, however, and wilt probably find positions after looking round a bit. Except for this, there is no hint of bad timee, and we certainly cannot complain of any tightness or shortage of money in circulation amongst the general public. The mildness of the winter has affected the I drapery trade somewhat, but otherwise business has been good since the commencement 'of the year. 'In fact, tho volume of trade done during the last six months has been greater than in any previous half year in the history of our business."

Asked was there any grave cause for complaint in the matter of "shop lifting" at the winter sales, managers generally stated that where their emporiums are filled with hundreds of people at a time, it is difficult to detect any depredations. There is no doubt, however, that a great deal of "lifting" goes on. The opportunities for those who aro light-flngeTed are very considerable, and from the tables littered with remnants and odd articles, it is easy to slip small parcels into bags or jpooketis. Strict watch is kept, however, and' the trouble, which was very bad » year or two ago, ha* not been «o muoh- in evidence this year.