Price Of Woollen Garments To Rise

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30348, 25 January 1964, Page 19

Price Of Woollen Garments To Rise

The retail price of almost all woollen garments, as well as blankets and knitting wools, sold by Millers, Ltd., would have to be substantially increased, said the company’s managing director (Mr R. B. Miller) yesterday.

The price increases for the different types of wool products. he said, would be implemented at varying times before the winter of 1966. Lines bought on the shortest terms notice would carry the increased prices first Some knitwear might carry the increased retail price this winter. Mr Miller said that this season’s wool prices in most cases were about one-third higher than his company paid last season. This was the cause of the proposed woollen goods price increases. Blanket prices would be increased about 10 per ent. Knitting wool retail pries, he said, were likely to rise within months. Mr Miller said approximate price increases for woollen goods that his company would charge when wool bought at this season’s prices was used were: woollen blankets, up by 5s to 10s a pair; men's suits, up by £1; men’s pullovers, up by ss, and women's winter coats up by 10s. The manager of one of Christchurch’s oldest and biggest retail shops yesterday said he had received notices from two manufacturers saying that their knitting wool prices were to be increased. On the basis of the new prices to be charged by the manufacturers, he said, retailers would be forced to make a 2d a skein increase for loz skeins to the value of 2s or less. But for loz skeins in excess of 2s an oz, the retail increase would be about 3d an oz. ,

“When we start buying knitting wool on the higher price, it will have to be handed on to the public,” he said. “The retail prices of knitting wools will not be going up immediately.” he said. “I expect the rise will be after notification from all knitting wool manufacturers.”

Mr Miller’s predictions on when his company would increase the prices of various woollen products were: fashion goods, in the winter of 1965; blankets and rugs, probably earlier than fashion goods; knitwear, by next summer (but some could be earlier); suitings might start rising later this year. The new retail prices for suitings and knitwear, said Mr Miller, depended on the time of his buying periods. Some suitings, for example, were bought in September. Suitings bought at this time would carry the new price when put on the market Synthetic Fibre Mr Miller said that if wool prices maintained their present level at sales over the next few weeks, his company would have to consider introducing synthetic fibres with the wooL This would be necessary to get the price down to compete with synthetic fibre.

The whole question, he said, was wihat the public was prepared to pay. High wool prices, he said, were good for New Zealand’s trade. But from a consumer’s point of view, wool had probably gone to too high a ’ level. : “Once you get to that level, it opens the doors for blend- ■ ing synthetics with wool and : taking the place of wool,” said Mr Miller. “If the price of wool goes ■ too high, there will be a ■ greater demand for garments made with synthetics.” In the women’s knitwear field, he said, there was quite a big consumer demand for or lons and banion, both synthetic fibres.

Chess Prodigy.— Andryusha Litovchin, aged seven, was one of the 16 winners in a German chess problem contest in which almost 6000 replies were received from 167 participants in different countries, Tass reported from Omsk. —(Moscow, January 23.)