WEEKLY HOLIDAY

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXII, Issue 45, 22 April 1927, Page 5

WEEKLY HOLIDAY

BUSINESS SIGNIFICANCE.

AN INDEPENDENT VIEWPOINT.

With a view to obtaining an authoritative opinion anent the comparative value of Tuesday and Saturday business in a town similarly situated to that of Waipukurau as to the day of the weekly stock sale, but with the shops closed on Wednesday, afternoon each-week for the weekly half-holiday, buti open on. Saturday, the “Press” invited the head of the leading retail firm -in Levin —Mr Wm. Clark, of Messi's Wm. Clark, Ltd., the largest drapery, mercery, • and clothing business in the’Horowhenua district, established in 1894—t0 candidly express his viewpoint. Mr 1 Clark writes *as follows: — “Levin, 20/4/1927. Re Wednesday closing as against Saturday for Waipukurau: Your town is on a par with Levin, surrounded by a farming community, and-is a meeting place of farmers} also Sportsmen- (footballers, etc.). A storekeeper and: his employees are out to give service to the district, and they would bo . well advised to close 'on Wednesday, and remain open on Saturday' when the outside residents, also visitors, come into town. Shops would then to do regular, or any passing business,. < We find Saturday- our best day of business. On that day the farm hh.nds, flaxmill workers, carpenters, and all those with the Saturday, half-holiday and players of football, cricket, tennisj take advantage of our being open. Then, we have a number of visitors etc., who come to Levin on- Saturday. They often make purchases of various kinds, because we are ready to w’ait on them. Its good business to be open while the people are about. Personally, I do not find, any argument for such closing, except perhaps from the point of view of some of the younger shop employees who naturally would like to join, the merry throng of sport-lovers. From a business aspect Saturday closing would be unpopular among the residents of our district. It would tend to drive business to towns where shopping could be done, and to stores giving a convenient service. As you know, Tuesday is our stock sale day. We find this day secondbest in the week. The trade returns for Tuesdays and Saturdays come out about this proportion: Tuesday, £lOO, Saturday £125 to £l5O. On Tuesdays the farmer comes out with his wife and family; on Saturdays the farm hands and weekly wage-earners, as well as visitors to the town make up a busy day. There are many towns in New Zealand which have found Saturday closing a failure, and have gone back to Wednesday or some other day. In large cities Saturday may be all right, as most folk try to get out into the country, but towns like Waipukurau and Levin should naturally be the meeting-place for all sections of the countryside; in fact, we.make our town as lively as possible to draw the people —bands playing, lights going, and shops all displayed to full advantage for the benefit of folk who have a Saturday half-holiday—for business is service-giving to the buying public.

I would like to mention that Fcilding closes on Saturday, and finds trade to Palmerston North. Stratford once closed on Saturday, but found that trade went to Hawcra, so came back to the mid-week holiday. So that if Waipukurau decides to continue to close on Saturday, and outside towns keep open, then it will, without doubt, drive a portion of the business elsewhere. Surely no storeowner would advocate Saturday closing?

I always look with interest on Waipukurau, as about 33 years ago it was my-headquarters as a traveller for a ■Wellington drapery firm. I had some happy days between Waipawa and Herbcrtvillc, and used to go to the back-country and do business with the original owners of the land.” Mr Clark concludes with a typical weekly return, showing the Tuesday figures as £lOO, and Saturday £l5O, Thursday being the third best day.