CHRISTMAS RUSH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20123, 18 December 1939, Page 7

CHRISTMAS RUSH

GISBORNE SHOPPING TOWN BUSY LAST NIGHT THIS MORNING’S CROWDS WELL UP TO LAST YEAR The Christmas buying rush has set in with an earnestness equal to the week before Christmas last year, and businessmen report that the public is spending as freely as they ever did, despite the war-time conditions. An almost complete recovery from the first war-time reaction was reached about a month ago. and business has been proceeding very steadily ever since, according to statements made by managements of leading retail firms. The experience of the present week was very gratifying, ana led to the belief that by the time the final rush was over the public would have been as active as last year, which was a record Christmas for Gisborne shops. Last night there was ample evidence that the Christmas rush had commenced. Early in the evening Gladstone road was filled with shoppers, and from 7.30 o’clock until the closing of the shops it was almost impossible for motorists to secure parking places anywhere between the post office and well beyond Derby street, unless a driver was fortunate in finding another just pulling out. Practically all the shops in the main business area were crowded, and the assistants were kept moving in a manner that compared only with the last Christmas period. Real Christmas Atmosphere The big volume of shopping was continued this morning, and there was a real Christmas atmosphere evident on all hands and in all types of business. In some places certain types of goods were almost cleaned out, ana in many shops the selections available had narrowed considerably since the beginning of the week because of the unusually big demand for particular articles. Next week, with a complete week before Christmas, the town is expected to be busy every day, with the final shopping rush on Friday night, while on Saturday morning toe buying that was forgotten until the last minute will be carried out. As last year, the late night will be on Friday next week, and the shops will open on Saturday morning for the usual half-day of business.