CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19502, 4 December 1926, Page 12

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.

BRISK SEASON EXPECTED. A DISTINCT IMPROVEMENT, INVASION OF GERMAN GOODS. In view of the greater buoyancy brought about by the termination of the coal strike in England, the rise in butter prices, and the good prices being realised for wool, shopkeepers in Auckland anticipate a fairly brisk Christmas season. However, most of them are not optimistic enough to think that trade will be as good as it was !ast Christmas season. The, heads of several Queen Street houses stated yesterday that although the outlook two or three weeks ago was depressing, business had improved considerably during the past , two or three days. This was borne out by the large numbers present in the shops. Many of them were doing theii Christmas shopping and the toy and novelty departments were especf ally well patronised. Wholesale firms state that business has. not been nearly as good as last year. . These jfirms delivered their Christmas orders in November when tbe outlook was not bright. Anticipating a bad season and being unable to clear the stocks already on hand, many retail houses, which had ordered their goods early in the year," had their orders considerably reduced. This was an indication that shops in the suburbs and country and the smaller city retailers, which were the chief source of business to the wholesale firms, did not expect brisk trade at Christmas. "There is no doubt that money is tight," the head of a retail drapery establishment said " Nevertheless, I expect business will be fairly bright. I think you will find tho people purchasing cheaper goods on the whole, although there are many who always demand the best. A feature of the attractive displays is the large and ever-increasing percentage of German-made goods, , more especially jewellery, glassware and toys. Tho majority of these goods are distinctive owing to the originality, of their design. It, is apparent that German manufacturers have in no way attempted to copy or 'make cheap imitations of the products of Great Britain, the United States. and other manufacturing countries. They have struck out along the lines of originality and novelty. Commenting on the invasion of German goods, one of the heads of a wholesale firm said the only way to keep them out was to fix a .protective tariff. The "position at present was that if one firm imported German goods the others had to follow to be able to compete. As far as the public was concerned, the majority did not worry whether they purchased German goods or British goods as long as they got what they wanted. Next week Christmas shopping is expected to commence in real earnest. The only thing that it liksly to hinder it is bad weather. From now, until. Christmas the shopping centres of the city should be the rendezvous for thousands of shoppers;'' ' . '