The holiday shopping season is always a sight to behold, and this year's is expected to see a boost for retailers and the manufacturers that supply them. Many industry professionals anticipate that holiday sales in the next few months will either meet or surpass the totals from 2011.

A study by Capital Business Credit revealed that 77 percent of respondents said they believe retail sales throughout the fall and winter months will stay the same or increase from last year. Some expect the back-to-school shopping season will also boost sales, with 33 percent stating the amounts from school supplies and clothing will exceed 2011's totals. The summer season was not as positive as some retailers and manufacturers had hoped, as the research found that 66 percent of stores held sales and offered discounts to clear merchandise for the warmer months from shelves.

"Like many other recent economic indicators, we are getting a lot of mixed signals from importers and manufacturers of retail goods," said Andrew Tananbaum, executive chairman of CBC. "We do believe there is the potential for growth as we head into the back-to-school and fall seasons."

Click Z reports that the holiday shopping season is expected to begin earlier this year, as consumers look to wrap up gift-buying before the big rush starts. Mobile payments are also anticipated to play a significant role.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, August 17th, 2012 at 1:51 am .