THE CHRISTMAS TRADE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14857, 24 December 1913, Page 3

THE CHRISTMAS TRADE.

A SATISFACTORY RECORD,

The season of peace and goodwill is practically upon us now, and everyone, let us hope, who has friend or relation, is exercised in his or her mind upon the all-important question of the Christmas present. Luckily, from the point of view of the retail trader," the strike, which is now a,thing past and done with, has affected hardly at all the spending of the people. It is true that it caused the public to "hang fire" a little, when the storm clouds wero at their worst, but early in the month the citizens of Christchurch apparently decided that the industrial trouble was not so terrible after all, and with a praiseworthy unanimity they descended upon the shops like an avalanche.

There is little doubt that it is tho children who welcome Christmastido with the keenest joy. They have no responsibility, and they know not the cares of poor paterfamilias, who has to make both ends meet in the face of the gradual rise in f rices and the generally increased competition. To the youngsters Christmas comes as an unalloyed pleasure, and their only handicap is the natural limit of their digestive apparatus. But possibly tlie little boy in "Punch," who considered that the pains of dining not wisely but too well were worth it, finds an echo in other juvenile minds. Thc big toy shops of the town have done a highly satisfactory trade, not a record possibly, but coiisiderublv above expectations three weeks or so ago. The taste of the children may be termed catholic, but conservative* and .the old, old, toys, common in tho days of the Pharaohs and but modernised in detail, still delight the small people. The little girl of the stone age dandled her doll, rudely carved and painted and dressed in a "fragment of hide, and thc little girl of IUI3 follows her example, the only difference being in the doll. So with tho boys, whose tastes have ever run to weapons of offence. The descendant of the bow and arrows of prehistoric days may still be seen in tho shops, and* the gaily painted drum, what is it but the great-great-grandson of tho torn torn! ' It must be granted, however, that a great advance has been made in tho realm of mechanical toys, and in the models of machinery, but theso are usually rather expensive and aro but for the fortunate few. It camo somewhat as a surprise to learn that tho jewellery business has had a really good time during the last fortnight or so. People did not start buying their presents so early as usual, but when they did, they did it with a will, and tho manager of one of the largest firms in Christchurch says that though last Christmas was easily a record, yet this season will run it very closely indeed, and that means that it will be one of the best for ten or twelve years. It is noticeable that people do not spend quite so much now-a-days on a single present as they used to do, but they buy moro of them, so tho result to the retailor is as good, or better. It is a queer fact that the popularity of the automobile has had a great deal to do with the slump in expensive presents. "It is not so much the first cost of a car, said our informant, "that makes the difference, but it is the upkeep and running expenses. A man may very well be able to afford the £400 or £500 for his car, but he does not reckon on the extra £100 to £200 per annum that the car is going to cost him if he uses it much, and he will tell his wife that he cannot give her that expensive ring or bracelet, and that sho is getting the value of it out of tho car I In tho samo wav the auto industry has cut into ( the "music trade. There is many a modest home now.where a motorcycle and sidecar takes the place of a piano!" Asked as to what was the most popular form of present in the jewellery line just now our informant stated the bracelet or wristlet watch "was an easy winner. Possibly a form of present that will be ever popular is a book, and it is a fact that the book trade is booming in such a. fashion that an_ absolute record is confidently predicted. The very beautiful and marvellously cheap editions that aro on the market in such numbers' now have taken present-givers by storm, and the retail businesses in the city are working at their limit. The suede editions of famous books are in great demand, and also the works of well-known artists, printed in colour. These books are things of beauty indeed, and it is almost impossible to imagine a more suitable and acceptable present to a reader or a lover ot the arts.

Unlike .the Old Country, our weather hero at Christmastide is—or should be —warm and bright, and tho season for summer sports is at its height. The devotees of tennis, cricket, boating, etc., are in their element now, while during the holidays every trout stream will be well patronised by the wily angler, all of which facts bring grist to the mill of the dealers in sports material, who state that they are doing an excellent business. Tho soft-goods men are mildly jubilant for, after all, their stocks have arrived, and, if they can't sell muslins, why. they can sell furs I In fact, tho only people who can growl at all are the grocers, whose stocks of Christmas goods, or a largo proportion of them, are still at the ports, or on the water. As was pointed out, if a customer wants almonds and raisins she must have almonds and raisins, and would not be satisfied with bacon and cheese instead. Consequently, when a grocer has to remark that he is "out" of a Christmas luxury, that is, to all intents and purposes, a salo lost. Nevcrtholess, even the provision trade is firm, and the whole trade of tho town is really good.