Retail Analysts Predict a Stronger Holiday Shopping Season

New York, NY, October 24, 2016—As the holiday season nears, retailers and mall operators are employing more flexible shopping strategies to compete with e-commerce giants, reports NREI Online, and industry analysts predict a better performance this Black Friday than last year—though not a blockbuster.

Deloitte Consulting predicts total holiday sales will rise 3.6% to 4.0% over 2015, and ICSC forecasts 3.3% year-over-year growth in total sales for physical stores, saying 91% of shoppers will visit a physical store this holiday season.

Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation has predicted 3.6% growth in total sales. “We think it is a good year for retailers, better than the last seven years on average,” says NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz, noting the seven-year average was 3.4%.