HIGHER FOOTWEAR PRICES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 86, 28 April 1937, Page 6

HIGHER FOOTWEAR PRICES

Values for New Zealand Leather Increase RETAILERS CONCERNED Fluctuations in the price of leather have caused some alarm among shoe retailers in the district, and the general opinion now is that within the nextf month most lines of . shoes will definitely risp in. price. Originating from the rise in prices of hides in Kew Zealand, tanners now refuse to- give manufacturers a definite statement of price for any time in aivance, but make day-by-day quotations, with the result that many manufacturers have ceased to buy, or are transferring their activities to .English leather, which has shown a uniform rise of five per cent. The position, as explained to a Herald-Tribune representative by a teading retailer in. Hawke's Bay yesterday, was that the price of hides had shown a rise from an average of sevenpence to thirteen pence. This naturally created a rise in the price- of ieather as supplied to the manufacturers by the tanners, and would soon show a rise in the retail price of footffrear. In ^antieipation, apparently, of a further rise in the price of the hides, the tanners are not following their usual custom of giving quotations for long periods, but are to fix the pric'e from day to day. Since the beginning of Jannary the price ;of leather has inade four advances, although English leather, after a rise in price of 5 per cent. at the same time, has remaiaed steady and will remain so until July. " We are in a difficult position," raid the retailer, "as prices are likely to take a further rise soon. Although we •are kept posted of movements, we cannot at present form any direct estimate of the extent of the price rises, for the season that we are not buying. The hardest hit will be the working man with his heavy working boots. They have already. risen in price to some extent, and will rise again." When asked if the present stoeks held by retailers would be sufficient to tide them over until a stable price was realised once more, he stated that ho did not think sO. The period of activity in the market for hides would be likely to coutinue longer than tbo three or four months for which present stocks might last. iiasing his observations on the prices of stock lines, another retailer stated that he thought that within a month the" prices of retail footwear would advance, although no increase had yet been noted. The position depended to a large. extent upon the existing stocks held by the factories. Inquiries from a sports clealcr indicated that he anticipated that the leather stocks he carried — namely, footballs, basketballs, leather shooting equipment and leather golf bags — would show a rise in price next winter. As stocks are.ordered six months ahead there had been no change this season. "The public will have to pay — they always do, "was the summing-up of the position by another . dealer. "Ifi we find that stocks cost more, we will have to add our profit to that." H'e added that in heavy working boots the rise would probably he greatest.