Spending boom be sustained? Available to Purchase

Christmas and New Year sales, according to latest reports, exceeded most retailers' expectations. A long Christmas break and mild weather encouraged people to go out; but essentially most people had more money in their pockets last year because of lower mortgage and interest rates, falling inflation, and the abolition of hire purchase controls. But the crucial question is — will it last? Our contributor, Leonard Ross, thinks that prospects for retail business in 1983 and beyond look distinctly brighter than for several years.