Record shoppers expected during Thanksgiving weekend

An estimated 166.3 million people are planning to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. This... more »

Year-over-year retail sales growth continues, NRF reports

Retail sales remained strong on a monthly basis and saw another year-over-year gain in September despite an interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve and continuing inflation, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). “September... more »

6 things to know about the holiday shopping season

The 2022 holiday shopping season is underway for many retailers as the preparation for this year's fourth quarter has included many unknowns and less predictability than past years. Inflation, gas prices and shipping disruptions have... more »

New fed debit card regulations mean networks will have to compete online, not just in-store

The National Retail Federation welcomed the Federal Reserve’s approval of regulations that clarify that banks and credit card networks are legally required to give retailers a choice between two unaffiliated networks over which to route... more »

Top Halloween costumes for 2022

Costumes account for the biggest area of Halloween purchases according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. Spending on kids’ and adult costumes is expected to total $2.9 billion,... more »

Halloween spending returns to pre-pandemic levels

Participation in Halloween-related activities will resume to pre-pandemic levels, with 69% of consumers planning to celebrate the holiday this year, up from 65% in 2021 and comparable to 68% in 2019, according to the National... more »

July retail sales show consumers still shopping despite inflation

Core retail sales as calculated by the National Retail Federation rose in July even as overall sales reported by the Census Bureau remained flat on a monthly basis, and both calculations showed strong year-over-year gains... more »

NRF notes imports slowing, but expects gains over 2021

After a record-setting spring, imports at the nation’s major container ports are expected to slow significantly for the remainder of the year but 2022 should still see a net gain over 2021, according to the... more »