The National Retail Federation reported a 0.6% increase in retail sales for November over October. The NRF attributes this increase to holiday shoppers taking advantage of deep discounts and early sales.
The retail sales were consistent with NRF’s holiday sales forecast, which anticipates an increase of 4.1% over last year, according to an article on the NRF website.
“Consumer trends show that the shopping experience continues to evolve for both retailers and consumers,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay in the article. “Shoppers this holiday season are seizing opportunities to take advantage of early promotions and showing signs they may wait until the end of the season when promotions are even greater.”
Online and other non-store retailers saw an increase of 1% month-to-month and an increase of 6.3% year-over-year, the NRF reported.
“It’s important to remember that for most retailers, the holiday season is a marathon, not a sprint, and there are plenty of important holiday shopping days ahead of us, including the week leading up to Super Saturday – the day many expect will be the biggest shopping day of the year,” said Shay.