N. Z. PRODUCE SELLS ON THE CLYDE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1930, Page 8

N. Z. PRODUCE SELLS ON THE CLYDE

EMPIRE MARKETING HOARD’S FIRST SHOP. GLASGOW RELIEVES IN EMPIRE HLIVING. (I* torn a Special Correspondent.) GLASGOW, Scotland), Feb. 15. New Zealand lias now closed her great •’drive''’ in the Empire Marketing Hoard’s new shop to spread the sale ol her produce in Scotland. This shop is situated at I>3, Argyle Street which, as all New Zealander’s familiar with Glasgow wifi know, is in the very centre of the city and on its busiest shopping thoroughfare. The Empire Marketing Hoard has rented the shop until tht end of May and is handing it over, for periods of a fortnight each, to the Dominions and Colonies to display their produce and to sell samples. New Zealand's turn came first. CROWDS ROLL IN. Crowds clustered round the spacious windows while the staff from New Zealand House were still hard at it arranging their goods. As soon a.s the shop opened it was packed, and from morn J ing until closing time the counters | were three and four deep with visitors. Butter and cheese, mutton and lamb honey, dried and condensed milk, toheroa soup, tinned sheep tongues and apple display material were on view. Samples were sold where possible. A kitchen, installed upstairs and in charge of expert women gave demonstrations of cookery, with only Empire ingredients used throe times daily. The women of Glasgow packed out those demonstrations. CATERING FOR TRADERS. Customers were thus catered for thoroughly, But the housewife was not the only customer considered. The importance of the wholesale and retail traders was not forgotten. Every effort was made to enlist the interest and active support of the traders of Glasgow. They were offered all facilities for stocking New Zealand produce, so that shoppers who had seen, wit at took their fancy in the Empire Marketing Board shop might huv it—-and, it was hoped, give a regular order for it—from their ordinary retailer. Special accommodation was set apart, above the shop, where traders might sit in comfort and talk business, with New Zealand or Empire Marketing Hoard officials.

MESSAGE OF THE SHOP. The appeal made to Glasgow through this shop was clearly stated hy tlie lit. Hon. William Adamson, M.P., Secretary of State for Scotland, and was eloquently reinforced by Mr 11. T. Drew, the New Zealand publicity officer, at the opening ceremony. The Empire Marketing Board asked the people of I Glasgow to buy from the farmers of the Old Country. But England and Scotland do- not produce more than a tiny fraction of their own needs. Let them buy the rest from New Zealand and from other parts of the Empire. ' hvays choose the produce grown by your own kinsmen and good friends in New Zealand rather than foreign produce. That was the message brought to Glasgow by the opening of the Emoire Marketing Board shop. It was not of course, a new message, but it is one '•hat bears repetition and all the signs go to show that in Glasgow it has been received by a willing public.