There are many estimates and indications of how the upcoming holiday shopping season will fare. The previous year's numbers and totals help retailers prepare for the winter months. The amount of imports also serve as a good tool for determining what will happen in stores leading up to Thanksgiving and the holidays.

The National Retail Federation's Global Port Tracker found that August and the next few months will see increases in the number of imports, indicating that retailers are stocking up their shelves to accommodate the shopping masses. August is anticipated to see a 6.3 percent rise in imports compared to last year, while September and October will garner 7.3 percent and 13.2 percent more merchandise, respectively. While these amounts are not an exact estimate of how well retail stores will perform during the holidays, the tracker indicates that retailers are confident in their selling abilities and consumers' optimistic outlooks.

In fact, companies and suppliers are feeling more confident about the holiday shopping season, states a report by Capital Business Credit. Of the retailers surveyed, 77 percent stated they believe seasonal sales will be at least as strong as last year, if not more. 

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, August 28th, 2012 at 1:48 am .