HOW AMERICANS SHOP.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 47, 24 February 1906, Page 11

HOW AMERICANS SHOP.

, , ■■ ♦ Tho Am«riean , woman goes shopping in a totafiy['diflerenl way from the Kng-lish-womnn,' who rarely enters a shop unless «he, really want* to buy «omethlhg. >ltt net follow that tho Englishwoman dlsea not buy because she enters, but that' may happon anywhere. Shopping In America i« seldom prompted by nfice.s&ity, and k often a form of dlvewion,' if; not of dissipation, which is well 'recognised by tradesmen, who not only permit a great army of women to dally tramp through thoir premises, but encourage the practice It ls aform of > commercial hospitality, favoured by 1 long-headed business men, who know thai if they can orente a thoroughfare— «ay, from- one street to nnothor— through their .tolftcos of business, a great deal of traoVJa sure to bo done, while op« portunity 'for loitering converts many of the merely curious into proiilable cus« tomers, ' 'jjho luxury of some of the fine AmeuJcan, shops i» woty known, and they are visited an sights of the city. Ar« tist« and artisans of the first rank have worked to' produce substantial edifices of granite, marKe, nnd bronze, but «uoh shops are patronised only by the very rich, or persons who Hko to buy whero the rich do. Tlio next grade of »hop is the "store" or mammoth bazaar, with acres, of floor epnee. It secures popularity, not so much by the quality of its wans as low prices and *o-oalled aU tractions. ' For instance, •in one huge »hop, there is a lounge, with «. fountain, surrounded by .tabled, whero icej cronms and loot! drinks are served free. In almost all the largo storos are "art collections," which aro on view free .to oustomers, concerts (sometimes excellent) on the »nme terms, readingrooms, supplied with fllee of the latest papers and magazines,* writing-rooms, wjhoro stwfclonery may be abtained) and reuWooms, with couchon and the inevitable rocking-chairs, All this in free, and the cheaper Oho grade of<6tore the moie varied are the allurements nppealing to tho inaageß whoso opi!ort«ni« ties for amusement nto limited. •