The Retail Rundown: A Season of Plenty, Except for Turkey

For retailers, this year’s holiday season is shaping up to be one of plenty. The National Retail Federation (NRF) projects November and December sales to surpass $1 trillion for the first time, underscoring consumers’ continued spending power.

“American consumers may be cautious in sentiment, yet remain fundamentally strong and continue to drive U.S. economic activity,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

While foodservice outlets are poised to capture consumer traffic on hectic days, retail prepared foods and frozen entrées are well-positioned to compete for at-home dining occasions as shoppers seek convenient, time-saving meal solutions...

NRF Expects Holiday Sales to Surpass $1 Trillion for the First Time in 2025

The National Retail Federation today released its annual holiday forecast, predicting retail sales in November and December will grow between 3.7% and 4.2% over 2024. That translates to total spending between $1.01 trillion and $1.02 trillion. By comparison, last year’s holiday sales rose 4.3% over 2023 to reach $976.1 billion.

“American consumers may be cautious in sentiment, yet remain fundamentally strong and continue to drive U.S. economic activity,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “We remain bullish about the holiday shopping season and expect that consumers will continue...

NRF Says Holiday Season Was a Notable Success as ‘Consumers Came Out to Spend’

Data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that core retail sales during the 2024 holiday season grew an unexpectedly high 4% over 2023 to a record $994.1 billion, coming in ahead of the National Retail Federation’s forecast, NRF said. Sales for the full year grew 3.6% over 2023 to a record $5.28 trillion.

“Consumers came out to spend this holiday season and clearly underscored the solid growth in the US economy,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. “The spending...

The Retail Rundown: Diving into December Deals

With the year-end holidays soon approaching, shoppers are eagerly diving into December deals. Retailers aim to capitalize on the season's spending surge with enticing offers on everything from festive foods to decadent desserts, decor, and other holiday items. 

Consumer spending on winter holidays is projected to hit a record-breaking $902 per person this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. This figure marks a $25 increase from 2023 and surpasses the previous record set in 2019 by $16...