Enough for Everybody

There was good news for U.S. shoppers last week. When some 2,000 merchants squeezed into Manhattan's Hotel Pennsylvania for the 34th annual conference of the National Retail Dry Goods Association last week, they agreed that there would be no critical shortages this year on dry goods dealers' shelves. But they were quick to add that customers would not be able to get exactly what they wanted, exactly when they wanted it; the war was still on. Drygoodsmen, by consensus:

P: Expect shortages of cotton, woolen and worsted goods until military orders are well filled; only after that indeterminate time can civilians expect full supplies of soft goods.

P: Are pessimistic about the outlook for "spot" reconversion programs that last autumn seemed to promise at least a trickle of durable goods (e.g., washing machines, electric irons, vacuum cleaners, pianos) this year.

P: Soundly hope for better supplies of infant's and children's wear, but are uncertain about delivery time.

P: Need more ersatz goods (wooden toys, non-ration type shoes) to fill the wide craters blasted in their inventories by the barrage of Christmas shopping.

P: Deplore scare-rumors of impending orders to ration clothing, like the one that had touched off a buying wave right after Christmas.

The merchants agreed that a harried year lay ahead. But they were also sure it would be a year of fat profits. They expected that N.R.D.G.A. members would find enough goods to sell to match 1944's fabulous $6 billion retail sales.

To be sure of getting enough goods to keep sales at their peak, the merchants brought with them the greatest troupe of buyers ever to invade Manhattan's wholesale markets. Some wholesalers dourly accused the merchants of doing a little panic buying on their own account.

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