SALES SOAR.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20539, 14 February 1935, Page 9

SALES SOAR.

| Petrol Consumption Goes Up. PROSPERITY YEAR LIKELY. Prosperity news—more spending, increased demands for luxury goods—was the rule during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. It seemed too good to last. Everyone imagined that with the holidays over there would be a return to the stringent conditions to which all had reluctantly accommodated themselves during the years of the depression. But the good news continues to flow in. Recently it was reported that bookings on overseas liners had shown a huge increase this year. Travel is always a good guide to the spending power of the people. When bookings fall off it is realised that purses are lighter. Another good indication to the spending power of citizens is the number of gallons of petrol and oil sold by leading service stations. Where grandfather thought of the motor-car as an expensive luxury, this generation has come to think of it as almost a necessity. Each year the manufacturer gives a better car for the money, and every so often he reduces the price of his product. During the holiday period a huge increase in the sales of petrol and oil was reported. That was good news. But this morning a reporter discovered that these increased sales have kept up during January and show signs of continuing during February. It seems that people are determined to make 1935 a real prosperity year and will not allow the promise of its opening to become dimmed. Facts and Figures. Facts and figures are needed to support the contention that prosperity is really returning. Here are some from a leading service station. At this particular station a 10 per cent increase in sales of petrol has been recorded during January this year over the figures for 1934, and this increase has been maintained during February. In 1934 there was an increase of 1000 gallons a month over the figure during the height of the depression in 1933. In the month of January, 1934, the total sold was 6726 gallons, while last month there were 8300 gallons sold. This is a greater increase than during 1934 over 1933. The average daily sale during 1934 was 216 gallons and in 1935 it was above 300 gallons. On one day last month more than 500 gallons were sold. As might be expected the sales of oil have also increased. But they have outdistanced those in petrol. The 1935 increase over the 1934 figure is estimated at above 20 per cent. Not only are cars being used more, but they are better cared for. These figures may be taken as an indication of the increased business being done by service stations throughout the province.