Bumper trading Christmas expected

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32797, 23 December 1971, Page 1

Bumper trading Christmas expected

When Christmas Day falls on a Saturday Christmas trading expects to receive an extra boost. This year is no exception; and most Christchurch retailers expect their turnover to be at least as great as last year’s high figures. This year shoppers have a full week, plus two late nights, to enable them to buy last-minute, gifts. Many businesses have already paid out holiday pay and staff bonuses, and as a result of the full trading hours retailers expect to see a large proportion qf this money. On Tuesday the Reserve Bank of New Zealand issued bank notes totalling $267.7m compared with 5247 m issued

on December 21, 1970, an increase of almost 10 per cent. “This amount of money in circulation is not going to stay in pockets long, it’s going to be spent,” commented the manager of a large department store yesterday. The managers of most of the large department and chain stores in and around Christchurch said that business was booming, and many were critical of earlier reports that Santa had gone broke.

Many retailers have been surprised at the increase in trade over the last fortnight. Business was slow from midNovember until early December and it was during this period that some shop-keep-ers predicted a decline in Christmas shopping. The manager of one large department store said there had been a good crowd of

shoppers in the city over the last 10 days and during this period sales had increased significantly. Manufacturers and wholesalers were keeping retailers well stocked with goods, he said. Another manager expected that his store’s , turnover this week may show as much as a 25 per cent increase on last year. The New Zealand family was a closely-knit unit, and each member liked to buy the others something at Christmas. Many large stores cater for this by operating special gift-bars over Christmas. These counters usually sell gifts priced under $2. However, there appeared to be no range of products more popular than another. “They’re buying everything for everyone," one sales manager said. Ladies sportswear >nd

underclothes' have been the most popular items in one store while the old favourites, cosmetics and toiletries, were selling well in other shops. One department store was finding that electric drills and handyman’s tools were proving popular. The manager of a toy store that has been open for only two years said this would be his best December. He expects a 20 per cent increase in sales.

The advertising manager for a large department store said that many people were using more thought and imagination in buying presents. Instead of buying individual presents, many older families were "clubbing their resources together” to buy a more expensive gift, such as "a fridge for mum.”

The sharp rise in price of records this year—7sc for most LPs—has not affected Christmas record sales. One of Christchurch’s largest record shops has been ' “flat out” all week, and its sales manager expects this Christmas will be the shop’s best. He attributed the increase in sales to good marketing by the record companies. All the new releases by the most popular artists—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Cat Stevens—are now in the shops. The common buyers are single young men. One youth yesterday bought 10 records after being told that he could have another one free if he did so. “If they haven’t got a bird to take out, they’ll buy a record instead,” the manager I said. t