PRESENTS FOR-ALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20289, 23 December 1927, Page 2

PRESENTS FOR-ALL

BUSY CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS. BUYING IN FULL SWING. THE ELEVENTH HOUR RUSH. A merry Christmas I Children of all ages prick up their ears at the sound of' the words. For them Christmas time is joy time- an event of unalloyed delight accompanied by that most pleasant of occupations, the receiving of gifts. For weeks beforehand they count the passing days. The younger fry put aside their largest stockings, and the behaviour of their older brothers and sisters becomes almost perfect. All irop excited hints as to their many wants, and wile away the remaining days by blowing speakers in the busy streets, stealing father’s matches or the lighting of fireworks, and bursting coloured balloons. Parents are, of course, much more conservative in their views. Father discusses his bank balance with studied pessimism, and mother thinks out ways of doing things “ just a little more cheaply and quietly than usual.” They listen to the extensive appeals of heir offspring with patient tolerance, arrange shopping dates, and pore over growing lists. Really, there is so much to be thought of. Presents and housekeepers’ ‘-■upplies, cards, and mementoes-—everyone has that feeling that something or someone has been forgotten. Yet, on the whole, happiness is the keynote; happiness with a few worries and lots of bustle. Shopkeepers always welcome Christmas. For them the Yulctide season it one of hard work but ample reward. They are responsible for the delight of the children and the worries of th e parents. Young sters look upon them as the special representatives of Santa Claus himself, while proud fathers and happy mothers bless them or condemn them alternatively, as the cases warrant. Their shuns are transformed into alluringly-decorated hives of industry, packed with eager shoppers and presided over by perspiring assistants. Their goods are displayed with a lavishness that is bewildering, >nd the prices are set at every possible or impossible sum. Yet, after all, they arc ouite indispensable—Christmas would be very dull if they cared to make it so. A LIVELY GIT'S. To-day Dunedin will be in the throes of the ’ eleventh hour rush hat occurs every year despite the appeals of tradespeople to ” shop early.’’ Only a few hours are left, for to-night lias been fixed as the late shopping night, nd to-morrow the shops will close at 1 p.m. During the week th e city has been growing' steadily busier, and each day the streets have been congested with shoppers, Christmas traffic, and the vanguard of the holiday-makers from th e country who make Dunedin their headquarters. Today and this evening will see the hustle at' its climax, and indications all point to Christmas 1927 being memorable one for residents and business people alike. It is difficult to select a starting point when beginning a review of the shops and their contents. Trade anticipations for the season have been particularly keen despite the quietness of the past year and quantity combined with vane.y seems the keynote of every display. Toyland this year is a realm of wondrous interest. There are toys of nil sorts and ail makes from every part of the world, and the post-war revival in the trade is more than ever in evidence. Shopkeepers report that mechanical toys are enjoying special popularity, and the juveniles are displaying a marked preference for anything that “ works.” Dolls are to be had in many new styles, and there is a particularly extensive array of inexpensive novelties of all kinds. ECONOMY IN EVIDENCE. “ People seem inclined to economise n the quality of the goods they are buying this yea-r,” said one retailer of toys. 'But,” he added, “the number of sales we are making is larger than in past years. We are making' ■ special bid for trade in all children’s lines, and the results this week have been very satisfactory.” Drapery stores are being rushed this year to an extent that shows the growing preference for gifts of a useful nature. Articles of attir f are always welcome, and, for the givers, the choice is made easier. Tradesmen and manufacturers have recognised this, with the result that almost every article of clothing offered at Christmas-time is mounted in mnnner that makes it suitable as gift. Specially decorated boxes of silk hose are featured among the gifts for women, while it is now possible to present a man with such homely articles as “ braces because of the attractive way in which the packages are labelled, decorated, and embellished. Among the shops that are reaping a rich harvest this week are hose supplying music sheets, musical instruments, and gramophone records. To-day, nearly every home contains a gramophone, and records for these chines ire an excellent standby for the shonper who is puzzled as to the most icceplable gift. Sweets shops ai> also enjoying a generous measure of public support, and the factories of England and New Zealand have filled them with variety >f novelties in sweets that exceeds the- showing of past years. Housewives are finding adequate inspiration in the shops of all tradespeople who cater ‘or Christmas food requirements. Shopkeepers who deal in these lines state that the demand this year is good, although ho plninei goods are most sought after. PRICES AND PREFERENCES. “ I notice a tendency fo abandon the custom of preparing lavish meals -t Christmas,” said one tradesman of long experience. “ People are finding that it pays to concentrate theii spending on holiday trips for their families, and we arc selling an increasing quantity f goods that are suitable for outings and camping expeditions. The extending use of the motor car for holiday taunts may have some effect on this.” A word about prices. This year they are inclined to be high, specially for gift novelties and the type if articles that make their appearance only during the Christmas season. The majority of stock lines is, however, within the reach of everone. and the variety of the goods being offered in shops of every kind is such that suitable choice nay be made with just a little care and trouble.