CHRISTMAS AND CHEERFULNESS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21034, 9 December 1933, Page 16

CHRISTMAS AND CHEERFULNESS

♦ BUSINESS ACTIVITY ENCOURAGING REVIEW OF IMPORTANT FEATURES The association of Christmas with cheerfulness of outlook and goodwill is more pronounced at present than for many years. A survey of business activity in the city, and the prospects for Christmas celebration indicated by that activity, reveal that confidence is present which, combined with wellfounded belief that more prosperous days are immediately ahead, is reflected in the public's spending and its attitude to the celebration of this year's holiday season. ■World's markets, which have hardened in response to a common international confidence in a bright future and some revival of trade, are pulses to the fluctuation of which the city is keenly sensitive, and it is obvious to-day that one powerful factor operating for an improved outlook locally has been the substantial advance in j prices for wool at recent sales, the confidence in the new and advanced basis, and the steady, and therefore healthy advance over many months of live-stock and other primary values. The sad, brooding atmosphere of four years of serious' - economic difficulties weighs less heavy to-day. A careful investigation of the business heart of the city by a representative of "The Press" produced a mass of evidence that recovery of confidence is general, and Christmas cheerfulness is widespread. Although markets everywhere are hardening, and it is a common anticipation among business executives that prices will advance fairly considerably during the next six months, values to-day are inclined to favour buyers and Christmas this year should be a gay time and a gift time indeed. Shopping And Delivery Hours. Christmas has one very material aspect. "What shall we eat and drink?" is a question heard on all sides—the problem of all housewives. Puddings, cakes, and confectionery are produced in great abundance in homes and in shops, and that work will continue right up to the last minute, no doubt. There is the added feature tliis Christmas that Christmas "Eve," as it is known as the last-minute shopping rush, will be on Friday, three days before Christmas Day, when city shops and stores* will be open until 10 p.m. Christmas falling on a Monday makes arrangements somewhat, unusual. Shops will be open on Saturday until 12.30 p.m. as usual. The arrangement for the delivery of bread affects all homes. This year the last delivery before Christmas will be on Saturday afternoon and delivery will be resumed on Wednesday. This will necessitate extra arrangement for provisions, and also means that the work for bakehouses will assume tremendous proportions. They will have to produce in one day enough bread for Christchurch for almost half a week! The task is a heavy one, and staffs have to be increased and overtime worked. For the larger bakers it will mean that they will continue from Friday's baking and bake the Christmas supply without a break, special shifts being worked at high pressure. No one will be able to deny that bakers will not deserve the brief respite of a Christ- ; mas holiday. Similar arrangements for delivery will be made for the New Year holiday week-end.

Extra Large Staffs and Turnovers. Comment on the buoyancy which has followed the advance in wool values is general, and the effect of that advance may be noted already. The sale in Christchurch on Tuesday is expected to clinch this optimism. The orders for suits are worthy of note to-day, as in some quarters during the last 12 to 18 days they represent record figures. Workroom staffs have been increased and overtime is being worked. Many purchasers are buying two suits. Perhaps those consider that prices will advance considerably in the future. In one establishment a bench was heaped high with partly-finished suit orders for Christmas. The men's trade has been dormant for a long period, but it appears to be coming into its own, and more hats, ties, shirts, and footwear are also being sold than for some time.

Some of the retail shops are employing record staffs for the Christmas rush, a factor which is playing no small part in momentarily relieving unemployment problems. Merchandise js cheaper, the head of one large city firm stated, but the volume of trade is more than compensation in most instances. Parcel delivery work has already reached enormous proportions and next week special auxiliary staffs will be required in most large firms "World prices are hardening," comin en ted another city business manager, Hud in that opinion he had support from many others in businesses of varied descriptions who spoke of their particular wares. "This is the buyers' tune, he added. "I consider that in the next 12 weeks trade will be heavy because prices are increasing against the buyer all the time and will continue to do so.

Wonderful Gift Attractions. Never before has such an array of exc 'el lenU y displayed, been offered in the city. Every year new features appear, hundreds of them and old ones remain or are modified and improved. The diversity of the range of gifts for Christmas offering is bevvildering Giving has been made nnfh 3 -° U | S the choosing of gifts may not have been. Everywhere there are articles valued at from threepence to .Vpw riloc more ' „ For adornment the new diess jewellery alone offers a and in rV h , c scope is astonishing different. lCh 13 attractive and "I'- 1 a hundred and one places it i<? !s°mnd- f' that , En f?h'sh manufacture ® S favoured, and in some of the modei n advances it has almost elimand C lhP°r Pe r' tio, J from both America and the Continent. Noteworthy also is the advance of several branches of New Zealand secondary industry hosProviding one outstanding' ex- , P j Of course crystal and glassattraction selections offer endless i,™l ir l? lTn , as children is, per•Sfi happiest time of the year, and t , ! Ice roun .d a present-day toy esc icnl (a o 'd imf ° Ve i' S inve »tions sufficient to dumfound, momentarily at east any boy or girl. There are aH !wc P es ' • al l, the sizes - and all the noises imaginable, and toys seem to have more solidity to-day. Sorely theie is hardly a ftfvent "presentwish" bred of the keenest imagination of any child for which tion could not be found? And this t*, k ® s n .° account of candies, lollipops and cakes, in which again sizes and shapes are remarkable. The holiday season associated with Christmas has an important bearing on hiivj u P urchases . and beach frocks, holiday hats, travelling requisites and swimming suits will rank high this ln -< tl - e indiv idual purchase aggregates. it is expected. h Grocery Trade. The rush for the grocery trade will come next week, and in it also the dispersal of orders means the employment of many extra hands. There are few features to distinguish activity this year from that of last except that orders appear to be larger and slightly more varied, which is a reflection of better times. The advent of many new and more attractive packing methods is noteworthy. Also prices in some sections are higher than at Christmas last year. As always, the rush for hams is exi traordinary, and this is a trade in | which is amply demonstrated the com-

mon habit of putting off purchasing to the last moment. It is expected that the rush next week will find many intending purchasers disappointed because selected weights will be scarce. Ham is a cheap, useful meat! which always comes into its own at ChristmaS" , . ~ T-, i The date harvest m the East was late this year and in consequence the bulk of the new dates, and also of the figs, will not be available until next week. This is most unusual. Vegetables have matured fast this spring because of the favourable weather, and with a continuance of the present very warm spell there is a danger of a shortage in some crops at Christmas. It is too early yet to make any forecast, however, as next week's weather will have the principal bearing on Christmas marketing. There is a plentiful supply of fruit available. Beverages in Demand. To a great many the beverages at Christmas are of some importance. The salesman in an old-established wine and spirits firm stated that business was very brisk—better than last year. For him, December was a peak month of the year. Hamper trade is more brisk than usual, and from stores the wines most in demand were port, sherry, muscatel, and Constantia. with a fair sprinkling of really good Oporto wines and Spanish sherries. There was also a demand for good French still dinner wine. Liqueurs, such as cherry brandy, benedictine, curacao, and liqueur brandy, while not being used generally, were in some demand, and indications were that more excellent Christmas dinners would be topped off with a liqueur this year than for some years, according to this authority. Cocktails have a minor place among sales, while whisky easily leads the spirits group. There is no great demand for sparkling wines or chamDagne, but this aspect is being well balanced by business being done in other lines.