AUCKLAND’S CHRISTMAS TRADE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 23 December 1922, Page 11

AUCKLAND’S CHRISTMAS TRADE

’’BEST FOE TEN YEARS” AUCKLAND, Dec. 22. There is now a snap in Christinas trade that has been absent for years, stales the .Post’s Auckland correspondent. A representative of the largest general stores in Auckland had no complaints to make either about the extent or the time of shopping by its thousands of customers. ‘‘This is unquestionably the best ChriSt mas time for trade we have had for ten years," he said. ‘‘Not only lias our turnover this month already exceeded the whole of last December’s by at least 27 per cent., after making full allowance for the very great difference in the parity of prices, but what is very much better, we have never seen so much ready cash available as at this season. We have always cried better times when others were talking disaster, and now we an; having better times. Our turnover this month is not less than £50,000, and our augmented staff is working day and night to overtake the Hood of orders.” A representative of a large Queen street drapery store told the inquirer that the most, popular department was that in which were displayed Paris goods brought by the firm’s European buyers, and the sale of such articles at from five guineas to eleven guineas alone this week have demonstrated the abundance of hard cash. There has been no decrease in the popularity of Christmas cards. On the contrary, experience lias slpwn a very marked increase in the attractiveness of such greetings. The representative of a leading firm explained that the demand for Christmas and New Year cards during the past week or so had really been'remarkable. lie {fobbed nut, however, the notable improvement in the cards available, as regards design and excellent finish. The trade in books as seasonable and enduring gifts has not yet equalled last season's demand. Excellent business has been done in respect of children’s annuals, but the same cannot lie said of hooks for adults.