MORE BUYING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 186, 7 August 1936, Page 14

MORE BUYING.

SUBURBAN TRADE.

NECESSARIES IN DEMAND.

STILL " PRICE-CONSCIOUS."

Business in the suburbs has been recovering of late in various quarters, but the improvement is not yet general, according to the opinion expressed by suburban shopkeepers. In some §jiop3 there has been a definite increase in sales, but in others business remains dull. ' • Suburban grocery shops report most improvement. In one shop the turnover had risen by 10 per cent in the 12 months, and evidence of brighter times was shown by the fact that customers were spending a little more freely, such as buying 61b of sugar instead of one or two, and larger quantities of other provisions. The extra trade is, however! mainly confined to general lines, and there was little or no increase in the demand for special lines or luxuries. "The public 'is still price conscious," was the remark of the manager of a suburban meat shop, '"and there has been no real increase in. our trade. On the other hand, the prices 'of meat have always been within the reach of most household purses," arid;-our business has been maintained at a-,good stable level. Probably those who have a little more money to spend will spend it on other commodities which during the hard times have been denied them." Boot shops and boot repair depots reported that there was little, if any, change. The position, however, was no worse, and probably slightly better than in recent years. This was the busy season for repairs, and they could not say whether orders had improved or the increase was merely temporary. A decided impetus to the boot and shoe selling trades was reported by larger establishments. Owners of other small suburban shops, such as of dairies, confectionery and cakes, fruit and vegetables, and drapery and florists establishments, admitted a more cheerful outlook and a more optimistic-minded shopping public, but said they could not. state definitely whether business had actually improved. Factors In Business. •

It was pointed out -thafc.at Was extremely difficult td assess the factors that affected business, 'both favourably and adversely.- Fluctuations oere. frequent and varied. One must the intricacies o? the science of running a small business. Even if an improvement in sales - revenue, continued for some time, and even if the year's accounts showed a larger • turnover, it did not necessarilyimean that the'ifiuying' power of the public had petition was the matfor facior,;'and as rivals arrived and; disappeared ; turjiover3 fluctuated. ■ K ••

Another business man described the important part, played, by the vagaries of the ■ "For"' instance," 'he said, "in our sUburJb fine weather means loss of business. The ,mo6t reliable index to this is ' the telephone; as: about 40 per cent of our business is done by telephone orders. With brilliant sunshine, the telephone will scarcely ring. The people go into the'" city and Newton, do their chopping there, saving an odd penny or two, and, returning at dusk, they buy locally only sundry commodities or goods. A 'halfpie' day is best for us. People do not want to sit round N the fire all day, so they come out for a walk, gaze ,into shop window^—and 'business results." A chat with small business riien of all classes is. an opportunity fq>r .a "study of psychology. The quiet yjiung man in the draper's shop is, one' finds by conversation/ really most adventurous. Nine years qf ; 'Office life W|tKb.ut prospects and, taking the finaricM' plunge, he has sitis' own.vhusiriess. "It matters nought* which .Government -is in power, the : 'ljqrd will provide" for me," said another shop: owner. ;"A third lectured on business enterprise. '• "The success of attractingvcustomers lies iji the appearand' of the shop. Distinction of building, colour' window display count.'': • ' i v'» • ; " . -V,: .',*o-? - i■ ■ '*r