GADFLY: US retailers are expecting a jolly holiday season — and rightly so
The good news is that the consumer economy is solid; the bad news is that retailers have few excuses if they don’t deliver strong sales results
Washington — The US holiday shopping rush is just around the corner, the most important annual test of retailers’ merchandising, marketing and supply-chain muscle. This year, the good news is that, by and large, the consumer economy is solid, and many shoppers are ready to open their wallets. The bad news? That leaves retailers with few plausible excuses if they don’t deliver strong sales results. There are many signs that shoppers won’t be shy about filling their carts this November and December. For one thing, a key barometer of consumer sentiment hit a 13-year high last week. Meanwhile, the stock market is roaring. The jobless rate is at its lowest level since 2001. And though gas prices have ticked up recently, they still remain well below where they were three or four years ago, a factor that could help low-income shoppers feel flush. Shoppers generally plan to spend just as much as they did last year, or more, according a survey by consultancy PWC. All this helps explain why i...
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