CHRISTMAS TRADE

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18266, 27 December 1924, Page 10

CHRISTMAS TRADE

+ AUCKLAND'S EXPERIENCE.

NO EXPENSIVE PRESENTS. fertCUT, TO '*TH*R TRESS.") AUCKLAND, December -ti. The city's drapery establishments, whose stocks cover so many departments, generally report n good Christmas. One thing in favour of heavy business was the line, sunny weather which invited everyone outside to the advantage of' the shopping centres. One of the principal retailers stated on Christmas Eve that the actual Christmas rush —the buying ot' Christmas gifts—commenced last Friday, the usual late night. It continued with increasing vigour during Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week, and culminated on Wednesday ovening with the usual Christmas Eve crowds. He stated that there had been a greater number of purchasers, and the actual money spent was greater. It had to be remembered that values this Christmas wcro, if anything, slightly .less than last year. Toys, for example, w ere cheaper. Great numbers of small gifts were sold, while there was a comparative lack of purchase of very expensive presents. He had also noticed strong general trade in all departments, so much so that, it had been impossible to move the counter hands from ordinary departments to those essentially handling Christmas gifts. There were no special features of demand, and the people were asking for all kinds of articles without preference for any particular line.

Another Tctailcr qualified his remark that the Christmas was a good shopping one "by saying that it had fallen just a little short of what was expected. "It's been a good Christmas," said a leading provision merchant, "but I am just a little disappointed. It is not quite up to last year." He said that when tho rush of buying started it looked ns if trade would be brighter thau that of the previous Christmas, but in the end it had fallen short. He thought the reason for that lay in the fact that while farmers had been receiving big cheques for butter, meat, and wool, the money was being collected by them too late for Christmas shopping. Even i£ the farmers had their returns, it had not yet como into the hands of the ordinary spending public with whom the retailers dealt. Then there was the fact that so many people wcro spending money on seaside' sections and land subdivisions, on motorcars, and in the raising of capital for new companies. These were important items, and it was quite probablo that they had had their effect on tho Christmas spending. Although tho country was generally prosperous, the money was being spent in other ways than 011 Christmas presents. Christmas Eve was, of course, busy for all shops. Jewellers agreed that business had been a little quieter than was usual during the Christmas period.