Sketcher. SHOPPING IN MELBOURNE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1619, 18 November 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

Sketcher. SHOPPING IN MELBOURNE.

Thinking that the fan portion of the colony ■would like to know what one of thoii .sex — lately anivecl fiom the centres of fashion in Paris and London— thinks of shops ami .shopping in Melbourne, we have been permitted to publish the following extiacts fiom a letter bent home lecently by a well-known new arrival, who is making a torn through the colonies, to a lelative who intends coining out heie to settle, on account of delicacy of constitution :—": — " Di:ut I., — In my mst lettei, wiitton as soon as I had got oil" my sea legs, as Bertie calls feeling that you aie not lolling about, I gave you my first impressions of this town as legards the buildings and people we saw during a drive round the place. Since then we have been visiting several families on the strength of our intioductions, o£ which Berlic only used those he learned from a fel-low-passenger, an old resident of Melbourne, were worth presenting, and, so far, we have not found ourselves mistaken. But I will not ventuie any lemaiks about this matter till •we see nioie of the good folk. I will, as you have asked mo, toll you my impressions of the waiehouses and shops I have visited, and what is to be got theie. But I before beginning to give you a desciiption of one of the laigest, and best, both as regards the goods and prices, I will just say to you, as a preface, don't bothei jourself bunging things out, you can buy them (iiiite as cheaply here, and then you aic saved all the trouble and expense of bringing them. The warehouse I refer to belongs to Messrs. Ciaig, Williamson and Thomas (I mention it first because it is noai the cential railway-station, and most convenient.) I balievc they have been many years in business, but only within the last few years started on the now principle of supplying goods in small quantities, at the same price as they foimerly chaiged as wholesale dealers. On hearing this, I was so stiuck with the goodness of the idea, that I asked to be introduced to a member of the (inn, who happened to be passing at the time. He, in a most kind manner, took a great deal of trouble to e\plain to me (as I had told him I wanted to wiite to a friend at Home about buying in London orout here) that they weie able to sell at the wholesale lates (which he told me meant saving 30 per cent.), because they did only a cash business, which saved them booking accounts, bad debts, intciest on the money out (and inteicst here is neaily double that at home), and then they could turn over the money more quickly. He assured me that the finn made no reductions whether one bought £100 worth of things or £10. I was easily led to go over the laigo establishment (especially as I knew Beitie had gone out to one of those ciuel pigeon -shooting matches, which I only allow him to attend because theie is always a nice ijigeon-jrie afterwards). As we began oui tour of inspection, it was exiilained to me that the buildings which belong to the fiim ha-\e 120 feet frontage to Elizabethstieet (one of the principal streets in Melbourne), with a large dopth back. There are thiee stories in one, and four in the other : but, till the new stories are built, the factory, ■where all the cutting, sowing, etc., are done, is in another stieet, and connected with the main buildings by a telephone, thiough which ordeis aie given, to save time. In answer to a question, I learned that the firm employed :*OO hands, men and women, or, I should say, I suppose, young ladies and gentlemen ; that their houis are only fiom i) to 5 o'clock, except on Satuidays, when they woik to one o'clock only. " A difference to the poor creatures in London,'' you will say. The wages, also, are half again as much as those at home, and, certainly, those I saw seemed well-dressed intelligent, attentive, and perfectly contented with their lot in life. Some of the " young ladies " weie really pretty. Most of the counter work is done by men — the girls, under lady-heads, attending to the underclothing depaitment. And on the top story of one of the buildings there are luncheon rooms, lavatories, etc., for the use of the fair attendants, and here they can make a cup of tea, oi cook a chop if they like. In order to work such a laige establishment coneclly and quickly, cveiy deijartment is under a head, who is tioatcd as if he were ownev of a separate shop, and all business between the departments is settled up by the heads, to whom, also, is entrusted the ordering of goods, There aie no imported sloj) goods kept by the firm : they make all they .sell, and in the ladies' depaitment they have experienced Homo designers, &o. But I hear you say " Oh, bother all these business particulars," but I know Fred will take an interest in them, especially if he is thinking of going into business here, and remember, a good wife always thinks j\vt>t of her husband. Now I will come to the part which you will read carefully : and I had better explain this as I saw it. At the principal street door, you aie smiled upon by a porter in livery, who|looks as if he had known you for years, and would like to shake hands with you. He has the closest resemblance in his manner, to the clerks who interview newarrivals at Amercian hotels. J^liey are so frank and genial, and receive you with such a gush of pleasure that you feel as if they were old friends. The left-hand side owomen When tin-But the warehouse, as you enter the building, is called the " Manchester" Department, where all household linens, calicos, &c. are sold. At these I had a good look, and saw some very pretty patterns in tablecloths and napkins to match. They were beautifully embossed, with sporting scenes and Egyjitian mosaic work. I saw here, also, some new cloth called German tweed, made out of cotton very suitable for summer wear, as it is light find yet warm. There were also some curtains with the latest patterns. you see, have spread here, as you will' think when I have finished my description. On the other side of this large room is the " Gents' Mercery Department," aa they call it in business parlance. I did not examine into the mysteries of this, a» Bertie is not one of the husbands who allows a wife to purchase for him ; but there seemed to be a great display of different kinds of hats and ties— some of these fantastic enough to remind me of Burlington Arcade on a fine^ summer's afternoon, when the " utterly utter s ' ' Lords of Creation are in a strolling mood. From this we were conveyed Up by alift r (which saves daily some hundreds of the fair sex going upstairs) .to the second storey. ..This is devoted to ladies, and here are soH4 dress-stuffd/far^oy ' ,goodei^andhaberdasheryof ; aUkin l ds.?!Ampngj 'joihet) things I L "saw. a ' J650 jvPJ3aJ9Wjsmantle js^<

on black grounds. And now we come to the spot of the place — the third storey. Here iEstheticism is the ruling Goddess, though I was told that some of the newest, choicest, and the most " utterly utter" goods in ribbons, feathers, etc., for the coming spring and summer use, had not been unpacked yet, but would be in a few days— a treat in store for the lovers of fashion and change. But what was shown me was, in some instances-exquisite, quite equal to those to be seen in Itegent-street, particularly some peacock-blue ribbon with yellow bars, nine inches wide. This was for bonnet ribbons, and it struck me that if size went on increasing much more there would be no need for dresses soon. The young lady who showed me this ribbon, said that theiashion for ribbons, of (which they had some being unpacked) this season out here, would be bright-coloured flowers— chiefly Sunflowers, pure iEsthelicism again, you see, on fawn background. In mantles, I saw handsome black silk and satin ones, bordered with passementerie trimmings, and covered with lace. There were also some " Newmarket " ladies overcoats, of old gold coloured tweed, very striking in appearance, and a good wearing colour. I can quite fancy why dear old Punch finds it difficult to tell the difference between a man and a woman (dressed in one of these) from a back view, especially when she has her hair cut short, and wears a dear stalking hat. I would tell you more about this department, but must describe the different places I saw. Having batiated my eyes with the beautiful, I was taken to the adjoining building, in which there arc three flights. The bottom flooi is the "Gents'" tailoiing department, where I saw a laigc variety of all lands of tweed, and was told, foi the benefit of Bertie (for, of course, it was soon found out that I was marlied), that by getting a suit made here, instead of at one of the fashionable tailors, as good "an article" would begot at one-half the price. There were some " colonial " tweeds, which 1 was surprised to sec so good, both in pattern and quality ; but I was assured thai a laigo quantity of them wcic used now. Our last visit was to the .second and thiid floors, used as a furnishing warehouse, with caipets, bedsteads, etc. The caipets comprised all kinds, and heie, again, the -Esthetic patterns were striking. Some of the carpets being /Esthetic to a glaiing degice. Yet it is cuiious, how one got used to them at Home ; and now they appear stiange to me, because, I suppose, I Jiave not seen one for some time. Among the bedsteads, I saw two different kinds of new mattrasses, the one made in Manchester, of steel wire, which can bo stielched when required, and is called the "sanitary spiral spring" mattrass, and it does look full ot spring ; the other was made in the colony of coppei wiie, and called the " stai mattrass." Now I think I have said enough about these warehouses, and if you take my advice, you will only buy at home what you actually want for the voyage.