Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald-Tribune—Economic uncertainty surrounding the government shutdown has been pushing American consumers to take a conservative approach to spending this holiday season. The National Retail Federation predicts that the average shopper will spend $737.95 on gifts, holiday-themed decor, greeting cards and more this year, down from the $752.24 average shoppers spent in 2012. The […]
holiday shopping
2013 Holiday Season: A Lump of Coal?
By Jeff Green—Most retailers have already begun rolling out their holiday shopping programs and initiatives to try to get shoppers thinking earlier—and more often—about the holidays. Despite this effort, I’ve seen several key indicators recently that could signal a flat holiday shopping season for retailers, including soft back-to-school shopping numbers and sluggish Halloween figures. Regardless, […]
Government shutdown expected to slash Halloween sales
NBC New York—People expected the federal government shutdown to have a lot of negative effects, such as cuts to senior benefits, employee furloughs and national parks closures. But who could’ve predicted that Halloween would be taking a hit as well? According to the NFA, the shutdown and overall state of the economy will be weighing […]
Shoppers in no mood to party
Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald-Tribune—New chain stores and pop-up retailers have moved into Southwest Florida well before the start of October, as the push for holiday sales around Halloween begins even earlier this year. Halloween costumes, candy and decorations hit the shelves of stores in Sarasota and Manatee counties at least a month before Oct. 31 — […]
Retail Rap: More of the Most Wonderful Time
By Jeff Green—The fall season only just officially started and retailers are already beginning to move forward with their holiday plans. After a disappointing summer shopping season and underwhelming back-to-school numbers, many retailers are figuring the earlier the better to get consumers thinking about holiday shopping. And with only 26 days and four weekends of […]
Crate & Barrel plans holiday ‘pop-up’ store in Mall at Green Hills
Ghetan Ward/The Tennessean—Household furnishings retailer Crate & Barrel plans to open a holiday-themed pop-up store inside The Mall at Green Hills, which, if successful, could lead to its first permanent brick-and-mortar location in Tennessee. The pop-up store is among four that the company plans nationwide. “This is the first time we’ve done this,” said Vicki […]
