the period, but !ummer normally brings a
pickup in such locations; eating and drink·
ing places were showing a higher rate of
decline and March sale were well under
March 1948; food stores showed a margin
of gain and were some ahead of the same
period last year, although prices have de-
clined; filling stations began to do better
business as the year started off. That is a
report for the first quarter, and the second
quarter is now at an end.
The April report showed drug stores
still running an even keel but slightly above
April 1948; eating and drinking places
showed a slight gain from March; filling
stations were also showing seasonal gains.
Space does not permit consideration of the
variations of these locations for the differ-
ent sections of the country.
The Federal Reserve System makes a
series of weekly reports on business which
are widely quoted, and which are watched
especially because of the light shed on the
different territories. Because this agency
makes weekly reports they are considered
timely. The Federal Reserve makes a spe-
cial weekly report on department store
trade, money in circulation , and various
other trade data.
Although department stores have been
accepting a lot more vending machines
since the war, chiefly as a service to em-
ployees, yet they are not considered a popu-
lar location for the average operator. But
department store ales are presumed to be
a good check on how freely people are
spending money and hence th e weekly
reports ar.e watched by many trades and
industries.
The country is divided into 12 Federal
Reserve districts and th e report on the first
week in June shows department store sales
down in all of the districts except the
Dallas territory. The report compares sales
for the 1949 week with the same week last
year. General reports since the end of the
war have indicated that Dallas has become
the money center of the nation, and the re-
cen t report on store sales suggests plen ty
of money is circulating in the area.
What if it were possible to have had
an accurate report on coin machine earn-
ings in the Dallas territory for the same
week!
If the store sales are regarded as an in-
dex to money floating around, or how the
public spends, then the New York territory
started off in June with the biggest drop
and the Louisville and St. Louis territories
had the second biggest decline; New York
showinl( a 17 per cent drop below the same
week last year. But keep in mind that
sales are reported in dollar volume; prices
are down now and a dollar volume drop
is expected. Many stores report physical
volume in sales is above last year.
The department store reports for many
weeks this year have shown the Atlanta
territory as holding a higher level than
other districts; in the last report available
the Atlanta area had a slight decline but
stood next to the Dallas territory for high
level of trade.
For the first five months of the year,
store sale have made a very slight gain
over last year in the Boston area, while the
national report shows a 3 per cent decline.
But for the first week in June the R -ston
territory had a 9 per cent drop, and the
whole New En/!:land area is s uppo ~Tdly hit
by the downslide in textiles.
For the fir t five months, the district,
surroundinf!: Philadelphia, Cleveland and
Richmond have had only slight declines in
retail trade; San Francisco and New York
territories have reported the biggest de·
clines for the five months. Reports on reo
tail trade jump up and down considerably
from week to week, of course.
Many operators have become more in·
terested in sideli/!:hts on factories and other
industrial fields than any other type of lo-
cation, because in a way the state of in-
dustry sets the pace for retail outlets. The
Edison Electric Institute makes weekly reo
ports on the use of electric power over th e
country and this report is followed as a
good index to what factories and even
stores are doing - more business means
more power is used.
The electric report divides th e coun try
into eight districts which is probably the
most logical division of terri tory for busi·
ness purposes that could be made. The gen-
eral trend last year and this has been to
use more power, but recently the New Eng.
land, Middle Atlantic and Central Indus-
trial districts showed declines from the
· same period last year. The Central Indu .
trial area, by the way, includes Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio and Michif!:an and parts of
six other neighboring states. This area ac-
counts for more of the industrial output of
the nation than any other region, and any
decline in the use of power in this area
is watched carefully by business men.
The electric power report is also show-
ing the advance of the recession westward.
The New England area was the first to
show a drop in power use; the Middle
Atlantic states (New York the center)
showed an increase in power use until
April 15, then a decline showed up; now
the decline has moved westward to the
Central district. Use of electric power by
industrial plants began to how definite
declines as early as March, and also stores
and other business establishments began
to use slightly less current in March, al·
though the total was still nearly 7 per cent
above last year; stores, hotels, etc., take
about 20 per cent of the power ,output of
the nation. The Chicago area began drop-
ping in use of power about May I, after
holding above the 1948 level for the four
months of the year; New York had dropped
earlier in the year.
The Federal Reserve also reports on fac-
tory production but such reports are not
as often as some of its sales reports; they
are by districts however. The Bureau of
Labor Statistics, by another year, plans to
issue monthly reports that should be of
interest to operators. The reports will show
how many people are at work, and changes
in total employment in 155 different indus-
tries, and the coverage will call for divid-
ing the country into 100 di tricts. That
should give operators a good view of how
business goes in local territories all over
the nation.
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