LIGHT STOCKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22613, 29 December 1936, Page 3

LIGHT STOCKS

HOLDINGS AFTER RUSH

EFFECT OF CHRISTMAS SOME LINES CLEARED "Stocks generally are shorts ibecJinse everybody had a much better ChrMbtas than was anticipated," said an Auckland business man yesterday when survoying stocks after the Christmas rush. So great was the demand that some lines have been practically cleared out,: but these are mainly Christmas goods for which there would be virtually-no demand jn future. The shortage is .particularly evident in goods" which could not bo replenished on account of the American shipping strike. Ihere are no supplies of seedless raisins and musca tels on wholesalers' shelves, although, lof course, stocks are still held by retailers. Cooking almonds and various types of nuts also are short, while stocks of dessert fruits have been noticeably reduced, although supplies are still ample. Tlio main demand for canned goods, particularly salmon, is yet to come. The arrival of the from Eastern ports yesterday afternoon prevented any shortage of Eastern produce, although holdings of pineapples and some other goods were inclined to be low. . - r

Travellers are mainly on holiday at present, and merchants generally have had little indication as to how country storekeepers have fared, although in some cases substantial orders were placed yesterday." Orders which went out to country stores for Christmas were the heaviest for many years, and in some cases storekeepers report ,not only substantial Christmas '.business, but also an encouraging reduction in long-standing accounts. Stocks of locally-manufactured goods generally are very light. "I do not know how much we could have sold if only we had had the stocks," said the manager of one of the leading business houses in the city. His firm was unable to cope with orders -for suits, he said, and no skilled labour was available.to increase production. Hard pressed as it was, it could not afford to pay 2s 9d or 3s an hour to men who were not efficient. A similar shortage existed in the furniture business; \vhile one firm estimated that it could have sold up to 150 more tricycles worth from £3 to £4 each.