Oh holidays, the prime time of the year for stuffed carts and shopping sprees.
This year, holiday sales in November and December are anticipated to increase between 8.5% and 10.5%, even breaking previous years’ records, according to the National Retail Federation. Shoppers are expected to spend up to $859 billion in these two months, a jump from $777 billion in sales last year.
In comparison, sales made online or outside of stores could increase anywhere from 11 to 15 percent with online making the bulk of that. The total of those sales could reach between $218 billion and $226 billion, which is up significantly from the close to $197 billion spent last year.
The sales in the report exclude car sales, gas stations and restaurants.
Overall, though online shopping dominated sales last year, shoppers are gradually going back to shopping as they did before the pandemic hit. That’s right, in stores.
Preparations have already started to increase seasonal hirings at these stores from 486,000 last year to a potential 500,000 to 665,000 workers this year.
