Retailers throughout the country saw an influx in the number of consumers hitting their stores and websites over the past few months. However, there are signs that sales during the holiday season were not as strong as were hoped for, although no official numbers have been released.

Fox Business reports that according to the latest Johnson Redbook Index, retail sales increased by 0.1 percent on December from the previous month. Analysts had forecasted a 0.2 percent rise. Additionally, the seasonally adjusted sales rose by 2.5 percent from the same time last year, and it was expected that figure would be 2.6 percent.

Despite these positive numbers, retailers nationwide are not optimistic about the outcome of 2012's holiday season sales. Retail Metrics reports that the decrease in confidence could be due to American consumers being concerned about the fiscal cliff negotiations that were still in the process of being determined over the past few weeks. Also, colder weather and a lack of effective marketing campaigns could lead to dismal sales. If the sales figures are less than were expected, retailers could see one of the weakest holiday seasons since 2008.
 

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, January 3rd, 2013 at 7:00 am .