Jun 26, 2007

Businesses hope Fourth of July sparks salesBy Dave BurgeElPasoTimes.com

Many local and national retailers are counting on Independence Day to jump-start their July sales, while others say the holiday doesn’t have a huge impact on their businesses.

Still, the National Retail Federation estimates 34.5 million U.S. consumers will buy patriotic-themed merchandise leading up to July Fourth, which falls on a Wednesday this year.

Nearly 89 percent of consumers say they’ll celebrate the holiday, and 57.9 percent say high gas prices won’t affect how much they spend, according to the same survey.

“Fourth of July is definitely one of those holidays where a lot of retailers benefit — from specialty retailers to discounters to department stores,” federation spokeswoman Kathy Grannis said.

Consumers are also expected to take advantage of July Fourth sales and promotions, which many retailers offer to lure shoppers, Grannis said.

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