CHRISTCHURCH PROSPEROUS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1008, 24 December 1910, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH PROSPEROUS.

YULETIDE BUSINESS BRISK. (By TeleeraDh—Boecial COTirapondent.) Christchurch; December 23. Christchurch tradesmen aro experiencing a record Christmas trade. A representative of "The Press,'' who called on a number .of the leading retailers of the city, met only one man who expressed any regret, and that was because so many customers had to leave his shop because they could not be at- , tended to.' In every branch of trade it was reported that business, which usually started within a week or. .'.on days of Christmas Day, had commenced much earlier. Indeed, from tlie beginning of the month, tho volume of business has been remarkable, and hag imposed a severe strain on the attendants. In order to cope with the expected rush to-morrow, certain firms have mado arrangements to provide dinner and tea for their employees on the premises, which .will enable them ,to rest when otherwise they would bo travelling to and from their homes. Perhaps the most noticeable feature is the demand from all classes for a better class of goods. It is assorted by commercial travellers that- Christchurch firms demand a hotter class of goods than is required in tho other centres, and this year tho tendency to buy only the best is.most marked. . ... "Do not think," said one gentleman, "that .only the more wealthy classes ask for these goods. The working man, though buying carefully, won't take anything but what is good." Tho same applies to every branch of business. Among the booksellers there has been iui enormous demand for works by standard authors, and preference is shown for the more costly bindings. The jewellers report record business, with a decided advance in tho cosh takings. Hardware merchants say tho same thing—they find a great increaso ill the number of shoppers requiring useful rather than ornamental articles, and so tho favourable reports go on. No one doubts that tho figures of last Christmas will bo passed. One largo firm had yesterday topped the total of business done during the whole of December, 1909. _ Another firm was ,so overwhelmed with' orders that it could not promise to deliver any more goods that might be bought, and last cvenin<T it had over GOO parcels waiting delivery. This Christmas trade has been greater, money has been more plentiful, and the number of shoppers has been in excess of anything known in Christchurch.