The Last Buying Spree?

The moral of the old nursery rhyme about Mother Hubbard has been jingle-jangle-jingling the cash registers of the nation's department stores. Three weeks ago they did a whopping 21% more business than in the corresponding week of 1942. Last fortnight (week ending May 29) they did a super-whopping 42% more business than in the similar 1942 week. In New York City's specialty shops (mostly clothing) the increase was 62%.

Buying of such volume means the U.S. public must soon reckon with one of the facts of war--empty store shelves.

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