‘Robust Holiday Shopping Season’ Forecast For This Year

National Retail Federation says consumer  spending  expected to be brisk.Annapolis, Md (KM) The holiday shopping season is starting off on a positive note with 197 million consumers shopping over the past five days, according to the National Retail Federation. “National Retail Federation looks at a five-day period and it turns out that predictions were correct. And it was the second highest number of folks that were out shopping since they have conducted the survey which has been at least 20 years or so,”: says Cailey Locklair, the President of the Maryland Retailers Alliance.That five-day period is Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. Locklair says sales this year were higher than last year. “It’s very close to last year, but just a little bit of a bump,:” she says.There are a number of reasons for this uptick in sales. “There’s increased consumer confidence. Inflation certainly has tempered some of that spending. But unemployment in our state is at historic lows.  Wages have experienced moderate growth. So consumers  have some discretionary income to spend,” says Locklair.Strong sale are expected in electronics, toys, apparel and home goods. “I think gift cards are really where they’re {retailers} anticipate seeing a bump there of 10 percent in purchases,” says Locklair.Even though they’re expected to have a good holiday period, Locklair says retailers are also seeing challenges. “They have been supply chain disruptions. Not just because of some of those port issues that existed before, but there have been ongoing strikes and that’s really contributed to some of the problems,” she says. “When we talk to Maryland businesses, many of them have stocked up on inventory to make sure that they’re mitigating  these potential problems.”Locklair also says there is still some competition between on line retailers and brick and mortar stores. “There’s definitely enough for everybody out there. But we really say it’s hard for a retail business to survive without some sort of on line presence, whether they end up using a marketplace, or they create their own sales on their website,” she says.Many brick and mortar stores use “click and pick” where they sell a product on line, and ask that the customer come to the store to pick it up. Locklair says customers can then browse the store, and perhaps see something else they might want or need.The Maryland Retailers Alliance urges consumers to shop at locally owned businesses which contribute to job creation, and community development. “Every dollar  spent at a local store stays in the community and supports families, employees and other businesses,”: says Locklair.But all in all, she says it looks like a good holiday shopping season coming up for retailers.By Kevin McManus