HOLIDAY TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18753, 5 January 1923, Page 2

HOLIDAY TRADE

UP TO EXPECTATIONS. PREVIOUS FIGURES EQUALLEDNow that tho rush of the holiday season proper is over, business people have an opportunity of taking stoctc of their returns and comparing them with those of past years, \estorday a Daily Times reporter made inquiries among representative tradesmen as to the position. Contrary to his expectations, it was found that, while generally speaking the business community looks on tho returns as quite satisfactory, the returns do not exceed those of tho previous year. At the present time, and prior to the holidays, there is and was a spirit of optimistic belief about the country’s prospects which was absent during the festive season of 1921-22. Therefore, it was to be presumed that there would be much more money spent, but this does not appear to have been the case. Prof»bly the influences of unemployment and of reductions in wages had a counter-balancing effect. At the same time it must bo mentioned that the tradespeople did not expect anything in tho 'way of sensational business, and the fact that the turnover has come up to that of tho preceding season has given them every satisfaction. Perhaps because tho “Where’s a bookshop’;”' query had “got” him, the reporter first sought the manager of a largo establishment of tho kind. The manager did not have a great deal to say. contenting himself with tho statement that business had been up to expectations—up to but not exceeding that of 1921. As was to bo expected, the public descended mostly upon popular fiction for presents and for holiday reading, comparatively little attention being given to the more costly and “heavier” works. Books for children sold well, and it seems that tho publications prepared for the amusement of the “tiny tots”—those often artistic creations with illustrations de picting the adventures of Jack and Jill qnd all tho other nursery heroes and heroines — wero much in demand. A few years age the Americans led, in fact monopolised, this industry, but tho English publishing houses followed with such success that now their products sell even better, in Now Zealand at any rate, than the American productions. The manager of a drapery business told tho reporter that drapers in general looked on the season as a good one, but not, os in the other oases, exceeding the previous season’s figures. He remarked on tho fact that the business had come in a rush during the two days before Christmas, and that it had teen the turnover, not the value of the various articles bought that had brought up his returns. People bought freely, but they did not buy as expensive goods as they bought in somo past years. Quantity seemed to be their objective rather than quality. Referring to tho men’s department, ho instanced silk shirts in support- of his statement, stating that these articles wore not in nearly as great demand as similar goods of cheaper material. If there is one line of business that may be expected to boom during Christmas it is the toy business, and this year has been no execution. Trade was good with the toy people, some of whom noticed a disposition among purchasers to go in for playthings likely to be durable instead of those articles of a mechanical nature, investigation of whose inner workings is often irresistible to tho inquiring mind. English-made toys arc now plentiful, and they, generally being of a most satisfactory standard, sold well. The jewellery trade had no reason to complain of the patronage bestowed upon it. No marked preference for the cheap article as against the dear one was noticed. Ranging from fancy goods to the butcher and baker, other branches of trade found business up to expectation, and by, its volume auguring well for the now year.