Nov 6, 2011

Predictions up for Holiday Shopping Season, Good News for RetailersBy Marcella KreiterUPI.com

As the Halloween decorations are stowed and the candy shelves cleared of all that orange-and-black packaging, retailers’ fancy turns to the biggest season of the year: Christmas.

Forecasters are predicting better-than gross domestic product results for the 2011 holiday shopping season, which traditionally begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Few retailers, however, are waiting for the starting gun, with plans for midnight openings and pre-holiday sales in full swing. Walmart has even promised to release its Black Friday circular to its Facebook friends during the preceding week.

“Retailers are optimistic that a combination of strong promotions and lean inventory levels will help them address consumer caution this holiday season,” National Retail Federation President and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Shay said in a release. “While businesses remain concerned over the viability of the economic recovery, there is no doubt that the retail industry is in a better position this year to handle consumer uncertainty than it was in 2008 and 2009.”

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