BUSY SHOPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23010, 11 April 1938, Page 14

BUSY SHOPS

SEASONAL TKADE SMART NOVELTIES HEAVY BUYING LIKELY GROWTH OF GIFT HABIT Preparations have been made by many of the retail stores in Auckland for a bumper Easter trade, and there is every expectation of heavy business in the classes of goods that have become associated with the season. Indeed, Friday night was notable for large clearances of Easter novelties and crowds thronged many shops on Saturday morning.

The practice of making Easter gifts has been steadily growing in recent years, and a survey of the shops suggests that it will not be through lack of enterprise by traders if there is not a marked expansion this year. Never before have there been smarter and more ingenuously designed Easter novelties than are now on display. Grotesque Nature of Toys Enster eggs still hold a firm place, but they merely form a suggestive basis for toy examples of the barnyard that would seem almost the final expression of the grotesque. It is obvious that many of these comically distorted birds and animals are meant for adults as well as children. The wider appeal of novelties is naturally due to the gfowth of the Easter gift habit among adults.

In this respect \ew Zealand is inclining to a custom that has long been marked in America, although the making of Easter gifts is by no means confined to the actual novelties associated particularly with tlio season There is much general shopping in the department stores at Easter and also in supplies of confectionery and foodstuffs. Generally speaking the desire of traders is for a dry but cool Easter, for the public has not yet started buying, because of th<> sustained warm weather, autumn and winter clothing and other seasonal goods in the quantities desired. Rise In Prise of Buns

The weather has also a big effect in reducing the quantifies of certain types of foodstuff purchases. Fruit and other protein classes of foods are more popular than energy-building foods in hot weather. Bakers anticipate that there will bo larger purchases of hot-cross buns if the weather is cool and people stay in their home? on Good Friday. Hot-cross buns will be dearer by a penny .a dozen than last year and by 3d from the time of the coming into force of industrial legislation that forced up producing costs. Indeed, some bakers prefer, because of the high costs, not to push the sales of hot-eros* buns, catering for orders only. Many firms will require the services of extra hands on Thursday for the manufacture of buns, and under the award it >» stated that they must be paid for four days for the one day's work. The rise in the price of buns has contributed toward a steady falling oft in consumption. Shopping will gain this week by the presence of two big cruise ships as well as by the usual influx of J"',aster visitors. Hotels are said to be fully booked, so that suppliers of foodstuffs Avill benefit. Country visitors can usually be relied upon to make many purchases from retail shops and their presence in large numbers will make a considerable deference to trade.