By now, it should come as no surprise to many company owners that as official retail reports come streaming in, there is confirmation that the 2013 holiday situation was relatively dismal. Sure, the majority of businesses did turn a profit and saw a substantial amount of money at the point of sale, but in comparison to years past, many fell flat.

For instance, the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs revealed that, as of Dec. 21, weekly sales at American retail locations rose by only 1.4 percent, while year-over-year, that figure reached 2.7 percent as compared to 2012. While these statistics are favorable, they're not exactly strong, given the close proximity to Christmas. 

Numbers like these suggest that the U.S. economy leading up to the winter holidays was not as stable as many had predicted. And on top of that, Bloomberg Businessweek called contributing factors like consumer demand "anemic," also pointing out that foot traffic and satisfaction were less-than-desirable. 

To create a stronger 2014, merchants might have to buckle down and invest in things like better service, retail customer intelligence and more competitive pricing to bolster profit margins. The source reported that elements such as shipping problems, late deals and other factors contributed to the nearly stagnant 2013 holiday season, so, equipped with that knowledge, retailers might be able to sidestep such issues in the coming year.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, January 2nd, 2014 at 6:02 am .