BREAKFAST TABLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17576, 29 June 1925, Page 7

BREAKFAST TABLE.

RETAIL TRADE REVIEW. “ PRICE CUTTING ” WAR. GROCERS SELL BUTTER AT COST. The “price cutting" warfare seems to , have broken out among the grocers of Christchurch with renewed intensity. This time butter is the article of diet receiving most attention. During the past fortnight there have been two increases of Id each in the wholesale ! price of butter. The second increase • was made last Friday when the whole- j sale price was raised to Is 8d a lb. It was then announced that the retail price of first grade factory butter would be is lOd a lb. Since then, however, | “price cutting" has been indulged in. and some grocers at least arc selling factory butter at cost price, namely Is i Sd a lb. One large grocery firm in the city has announced all brands of factory butter at this price. As far as j housewives are concerned they will | proTiably not mind how long this “price ! cutting" goes on, but some grocers do j not view it at all favourably. In the past butter is one of the lines that has | often received attention when price cut- ' ting was indulged in. Sugar is another line that is often sold at “cut" ] rates. The increase in the wholesale 1 price of butter is in sympathy with the improvement in values on the London market. Since the beginning of this month there has been a steady improvement in the quotations. CHEAPER SUGAR. This morning the Colonial Sugar Refining Company announced a reduction of 20s a ton in the wholesale price of sugar. This has been followed by a reduction in retail prices in Christchurch, the new figures being 17s 6d for a 701 b bag and 3*d a lb. The old prices were ISs 9d and 32d. This latest wholesale reduction is the second that has been

made this month, the other one of IGs being announced near the beginning of the month. During the past twelve months the price of sugar has been steadily falling and it is now £ll 10s a ton- lower than it was a year ago when the wholesale price was round about £35 a ton. Decreases have been made from time to time. On some occasions there has been a corresponding drop in the retail prices and on other occasions there has not, a lot depending on the extent of the decrease. Increased production is the reason given for the steady decline in the price of sugar. It was reported last month that the Australian crop was in excess of local requirements and further there has been a substantial increase in the production of Java sugar. VEGETABLES AND FRUIT. Cabbages are getting dearer and they are now being retailed at 6d, Sd and Is each. Lettuces arc very scarce at present. They cost 3d and 4d each. Really good table potatoes are rather hard to obtain. The retail price of them is 101 b for Is or about 14s a sack. Onions are cheaper and they are now being sold at 61b for Is or 9d a string. Some other vegetable prices are: Small cauliflowers 6d each, large ones 9d, Is and Is 3d each, marrows and pumpkins 2d a lb, carrots, parsnips, beetroot and white turnips 2d a bunch, spring onions 2d a bunch, celery Sd, ; 9d and Is a bunch, leeks 6d a bunch, spinach 4d a bunch, pickling onions Id | a lb, shelots 4d a lb, artichokes 3d j a lb. Tomatoes are now practically finish- ) ed. There are a few hothouse-grown still available at Is a lb. Grapes are now finished. Bananas are more plentiful than has been the case for some time, a new shipment having come to hand. They are being retailed at from 6 to 34 for Is. Oranges for marmalade are steadily becoming cheaper. The latest retail price for them is 6d a lb. Dessert pears cost 6d a lb, best dessert Sturmer apples 6d a lb, first grade Delicious 6d a lb, cooking apples I 31b for Is and 41b for Is, Island oranges 3,4, 6 and 8 for Is; South Australian navel oranges 4d and 5d each; Sydney passion fruit 6 for Is, Queensland pine apples Is 6d to 3s each: mandarins 6 for Is; Italian lemons 4 and 5 for Is. FISH PRICES. Fairly good supplies of fresh fish were available to-day, though they were not

so plentiful as fishmongers would like. Following are some prices per lb: Groper lOd (in the piece), Is (cutlets), ling 7d and 9d, tcrakihi 6d and lid, cod 6d and 9d, gurnet 7d and Is, soles and flounders Is 6d. There were no crayfish available to-day, but recently they have been selling at from 9d to 2s 6cl each. Oysters are plentiful. Smoked fish is also in good supply. Smoked haddock cost 9d a lb and barracouta Sd a lb. | PRICE OF EGGS. There has been no change in the price of eggs since last week. First grade hen eggs are quoted at 2s 2d a dozen wholesale, and -second grade at 2s. Retail prices are about 2cl a dozen in advance of these figures. There are a good many chilled eggs on the market. They are being retailed at about 2s a dozen.