CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1934, Page 4

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

buying begins early BRITISH PREFERENCE SHOWNTARANAKI BUSINESS EXPERIENCE. MORE CONFIDENCE EVIDENT. Although Christmas is still four weeks off, the shopping rush that usually starts just before Christmas has already commenced in Taranaki and shopkeepers expect a brighter and busier Christmas period than has been the case for some years. There seems to be more money in circulation and customers appear prepared to spend. Christmas decorations have not yet made their appearance, but it is expected that by the end of this week special attractions and Christmas bunting will be in vogue. There was every indication of a successful Christmas shopping season, said the manager of one store on Saturday. People appeared more prosperous and were out to buy. It was noticeable that utility gifts were far more popular than novelty lines. In the past, circumstances had forced customers to buy cheap articles, but to-day the tendency was towards quality and usefulness. Gloves, hosiery, perfumes, shirts, sox, ties, pyjamas and particularly handbags were the stock presents. Handkerchiefs continued to be popular and each year the sales increased. The production of coloured sorts was directly due to the manufacturers’ appreciation of the fact that util'iy goods were being given preference. A combination of the novel and the useful had been achieved with admirable success.

Despite the cost of exchange British goods were more in evidence this year than ever before, and English manufacturers by meeting the requirements of the market were more than holding their own against foreign competition, said the manager of a large firm. He claimed 90 per cent, of his novelty and gift lines to be of British origin. It was pointed out that British goods were quality goods and for this reason, too, they were commanding respect. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT. Eastern novelties of a better class were stocked, he added, but foreign manufacturers had greatly improved the quality of some lines, and attempts were being made to break away from the Eastern appearance. Chromium trinket cabinets, cigarette boxes and wooden trays no longer bore the typical Japanese decorations. The quality of British and foreign goods was greatly improved. Christmas decorations would have made their appearance by the end of the present week, said one business man. Every effort was being made to tempt people into buying early, and novelty goods would be found prominent in display positions. Prices in Taranaki were claimed to be on a more competitive basis than in the cities. The accessibility of several similar shops in one town enabled customers to make a comparison of prices and accept the best bargain, it was stated. One could not imagine a person in the third storey of an Auckland shop trudging along Queen Street to make a comparison of prices. This, however was possible in most Taranaki towns, with the result that competition was keen. On the other hand, Taranaki shopkeepers had to attempt to stop business going out of the province. It was not thought that the restoration of wage reductions in certain directions had had a stimulating effect upon trade. A more probable cause of the present early rush was that there ..was a greater feeling of confidence and people were realising that spending overdelayed was false economy.