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BUSINESS GAINS
FROM CENTENARY
Month's Trading
Assessed
BEST CHRISTMAS SINCE
1929
Bonuses A Factor
Increased prosperity, bonuses to the
employes of prominent commercial and
industrial houses, and the influx of Cen-
tenary visitors, caused an unparalleled
: rush by shoppers in the few days pre
I ceding Christmas. 1936. Sales executives
of loading Adelaide firms said yester
day that business in !hat period liad
been greater than since 1929.
Some officials declared that the last
miijute rush merely compensated lor
slack periods earlier in the monOi;
otliei-s expressed the view that hiaher
j wages and increased prosperity vvere
alone responsible for the added trade
, There was unanimous agreement, i.ow.
lever. on the lact that 1936 was a much
I more prosperous year than 1935.
: While executives of some gen-?raj
; trading stores were supported by seve
, ral furniture manufacturers in trie view
i that the Centenary celebrations did not
: assist business, the great majority
[averred that the celebrations were a
I great success, attracting many new
' spenders.
I There was general agreement 'hat
j gifts of a more valuable and utilitarian
nature were sought by Christmas shop
pers. Furniture salesmen said that they
found utility the keynote of purchases ;
In gauging the proportions or the
Christmas trade. "Th? Advertisrr"' i
j sought reports from six leading c".ly
! emporiums, several furniture .stores.
i jewellers and motor distributors i
| King's Birthday (Tpsct
I The sales manager of the first firm
: said that the three days before Christ
mas were exceedingly busy Previous i
years were outstripped in quantity and .
quality of business. The King's birth
day holiday seemed to put shoppers
cut of their stride, but there was an
amazing recovery. The supplemented
staff could not deal with the rush ot j
. j the last two days, and people touno
! difficulty in being served.
: ! There had been an unusual increase,
.j he said, in the year's business. Despite
? the fact that there were numerous addl
i tional public functions to interest and
?; amuse the people, the firm's taking;
j'would show an unusual annual increase,
i The Centenary celebrations were a help,
but some new arrangement was neces
i i sary if the King's birthday holiday was
; I not to upset future trading.
! Th spokesmen of other firms sala
? | that the rush of trade at Chrsitmas wai
! good towards the end. Ie was mucu
! better than in previous years. One
! sales executive said that early in the
; 1 month trade was bad. Whether people
were wailing for the Centenary celebra
tions or not was a mystery. A big rush
! began in the last week, however, and it
seemed certain that the Centenary was
one of the causes.
"Our year was much better than
1935." the executive said. "With the
rising prices of wheat and wool wc can
expect a more prosperous year in 1937."
! An officer of one leading Rundle
street stoic attributed the increased
i business of his firm to higher wages,
j better times, and the bonuses given to
? employes by a number of firms. Em
i plovers had not felt justified in making
; Christmas gratuities for some time, he
: said. The fact that they had done
|so in 1936 was a clear indication that
'"'times were more prosperous."
I "Centenary A Factor"
! The first furniture warehouseman
isaid that although trade was slack
1 early in December, the Christmas rush
j was"brighter than for years. The year's
I aggregate of trading was an increase
|on 1935. There were big deliveries
iof comp'.ete household sets, while gift
j purchasers were inclined towards wnt
|ing desks, cabinets, occasional tabies.
1: and other articles of utility.
! After the Floral Pageant there was
< a setback in business. It had been
Iconm pen_sated for. however, by busy
Christmas trade.
i Another furniture distributor de
j.scribed the Centenary as a "definite
. factor in increased business." He said
. ; that trade with country folk was a
i noticeable feature of the end-of-the
jyear rush.
| A third described the Christmas
! shopping period as ""excellent." He
: added that while the public bought
'. articles of increased value, small g:f ts
! ? were preferred.
? | Jewellers were unanimous in their
II description of the Christmas shopping
; L rush as "excellent." and the year 1936
1 as being better than its forerunner
; While tiie majority of motor distri
butors agreed that their output of
vehicles during the latter parr of De
' cember had exceeded the figures of
i previous years, one firm said that its
I December turnover showed a decline,
i A firm holding motor car agencies on
i the West Coast and in Broken Hill dis
tricts said that increased prices for
. wool, wheat, wine, and lead had enabled
it to sell more vehicles.
It was generally accepted by the
'; agents of both light and heavy makes of
j.cars that the Centenary helped sales
[ Centenary visitors found time to inspect
:;the latest models and saw the need for
'purchasing modern vehicles.
In all branches of general trade, the
.: business of 1936 was satisfactory and
mostly in excess of early estimates. It
gives rise to hopes for greatpr pro--peritv
? I next year if the prices of wheat and
wool can be taken as an augury.
PRINCE EDWARD, the son of their Royal Highnesses the Duke ond Duchess iof Kent, provided this study in expression, the photograph being taken in the garden of Belgrave Square, London, on December 15. Help
PRINCE EDWARD, the son of their Royal Highnesses the Duke ond Duchess
iof Kent, provided this study in expression, the photograph being taken in the
garden of Belgrave Square, London, on December 15.
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