MAKING PURCHASES EARLIER

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 10, 7 October 1936, Page 13

MAKING PURCHASES EARLIER

Five-day Shopping Week

OPINION DIVIDED ON SATURDAY CLOSING

with the object of establishing a more representative five-day week and the Saturday morning closing of shops, the Wellington Trades and Labour Council has decided to write to its affiliated unions asking their members to endeavour as far as possible to make their week-end purchases of goods before Saturday. It is considered that if shopping is done before Saturday, the habit will gradually be established among a large section of the community until finally there will be no need for shops to remain open on Saturday mornings. In that way more people would be afforded an opportunity of enjoying a two-clay break at the end of the week.

The question of a five-day shopping week is, however, one on which there is no likelihood of unanimity and indeed there is a sharp division of opinion among the business community.

Voicing the views of the independent grocer, Mr. E. C. Russell said it was generally anticipated that it would be only a matter of time before there would be a universal five-day week. Why should people like grocers be compelled to work on Saturday mornings while others more fortunate enjoyed the fiveday working week? More and more people were leaving the city on Friday night and returning on Sunday—the drop of 20 per cent, in his bread sales indicated that those who could were taking advantage of the long week-end to spend their leisure time at the seaside.

Mr. Russell said he was strongly in favour of an earlier pay day, preferably on a Wednesday. That, he considered, would do away with the present end-of-the-week shopping rush. Working hours should be from 8 a.m. till 5.30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, with the late night on Thursday (8 a.m. till 8 p.m.) and all-day Saturday closing. “Wild and Woolly Kush.” “Under the present system,” he added, “Friday is just one wild and woolly rush from 3 p.m. till 9 p.m. Our Friday's takings exceed those for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday together, and we have only from 8.15 a.m. till noon on Saturday to deliver all Friday’s orders and to attend to the Saturday morning rush as well. The earlier pay-day would undoubtedly relieve the tension and once it came into force I think universal Saturday closing would follow almost as a matter of course.” There was one fly in the ointment, however, and that was that many dairies were now stocking lines which were definitely groceries. For the success of the scheme, therefore, it was absolutely essential that all shops stocking groceries in any shape or form be compelled to recognise the same hours as the legitimate grocer.

“We could not possibly close on Saturday morning without seriously curtailing our turnover,” the manager of a large drapery establishment told “The Dominion.” “As it is, we are already wondering where the extra money is to come from to meet increased salary and taxation charges. If we did close all day on Saturdays how would the girls in factories get their shopping done? As it is, many of them make their purchases in the lunch-hour, but no one likes to be rushed in selecting an article or a garment that may have to last a considerable time.

“It must be borne in mind that we obtain a percentage of our sales because our premises are open. Certainly a wet Friday or Saturday never means a busier Monday for us, and Saturday closing would definitely make a difficult position much more difficult.”