GROWING VOLUME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 295, 14 December 1938, Page 13

GROWING VOLUME.

CHRISTMAS TRADE.

AUCKLAND GIFT DISPLAYS. RECORD SALES ANTICIPATED. With the prospect of a spell of fine weather an added impetus was given to Christmas shopping in Auckland to-day. Rain and dull days during the early part of the month gave a temporary setback to some lines of trade, but in the main gift sections there lias been a growing volume of sales. Business firms have made the task of the shopper an easy one. and indications point to a record Christmas, with the next ten shopping davs the busiest for many years.

Several marked tendencies on the part of shoppers were revealed in the course of inquiries made to-day among city firms. Many families for instance, are pooling their resources and purchasing expensive gifts for the home. The selections made are wide, including radios, washing machines, furniture, refrigerators, electrical appliances and vacuum cleaners. It frequently happens that the head of the house, who is the nominal recipient of these costly presents, but who has less use for them than the remainder of the household, is the chief contributor to the common fund. However, that is all forgotten in* the spirit of Christmas.

Many gift shops are featuring <lisplavs of chromium and bakeltie goods, which have grown remarkably in popularity in recent years, while the new vogues in glassware, jewellery and ornaments are more attractive than ever. Gifts that are useful are again well to the fore, with clothing an easy winner.

With the breaking-up of schools this week there will descend upon toy shops a horde of eager children, who will find enchanting displays. Dolls have again •loved best-sellers, and the fascination of mechanical toys is undimmed. In fact there is, if possible, a wider range than ever before. Every machine of war is represented, but again motor cars and aeroplanes are making the greatest appeal to the young mind. Stronglymade wooden toys of a better class are bein" featured in some shops, and appear to be meeting with a greater demand, while there is an increasing sale of tricycles, scooters, bicycles and selt-pro-pelling motor cars.