Although retailers are expecting a large surge of shoppers over the next few months as the holiday season gets underway, many businesses are now taking advantage of Halloween and using the spooky theme to increase their sales.

According to Internet Retailer, online merchants are creating new marketing initiatives that feature Halloween elements. Ricky's NYC, a beauty supply chain, has sent out an email to customers with tips on how to best use their products for costumes and disguises. SpencersOnline.com has launched a campaign encouraging shoppers to upload photos of them in their costumes, with a chance of winning various prizes and gifts. Additionally, other retailers have sent out Halloween-inspired emails highlighting their offerings, including free shipping and discounts, the website reports.

Brick-and-mortar retailers in Australia are boosting their sales during the Halloween season, writes The Australian. Many merchants have stocked up on costumes, candy and pumpkins, and sales are expected to increase by 25 to 30 percent during October.

"It's no longer just an American event," said Margy Osmond, CEO of the Australian National Retailers Association. "Australians love the idea of the day. It seems this is a holiday that more Australians enjoy and we expect it to continue to grow." 

The amount of total retail sales for Canadian retailers increased slightly in August, which has many economists hoping for improvement although the country continues to be slow in its recovery from the recent recession.

According to a recently released report from Statistics Canada, retail sales for August reached $39.1 billion Canadian dollars ($39.36 billion), representing a 0.3 percent increase from the previous month. There were some sectors that saw more growth than others, including sporting goods, booksellers and department stores. The source reports that retail sales have increased 2.7 percent year-over-year.

However, Fox Business states that the Canadian economy is still looking for stronger signs of improvement, as the recent numbers actually dropped slightly by 0.3 percent when looking at them on a volume basis. This slight decrease could impact the nation's gross domestic product for August, although those numbers have not yet been made available. Higher food prices are both helping and hurting conditions, as the rise in expenses is one contributor to the initial rise in retail sales amounts for August. However, the higher costs could be having a negative impact on Canadians, as consumers continue to struggle financially, the website states.

Internet retail sales in the United Kingdom have seen strong growth recently, as research has revealed that the totals for ecommerce throughout the country have significantly increased. This comes right after the nation's retailers saw better-than-expected sales amounts for the month of September.

Internet Retailer reports that a recent study by IMRG and Capgemini revealed that online retail sales have grown by 16 percent over the past year. For September, consumers in the U.K. purchased approximately £6.4 billion ($10.25 billion) in products and services through the internet. These strong numbers also represent an 11 percent increase from the previous month. The report anticipates that for this year's fourth quarter, ecommerce sales in the nation will jump to 15 percent year-over-year, according to the source.

These positive numbers come on the heels of solid retail sales in U.K. for September. Bloomberg Businessweek wrote that increased sales of winter clothing and school uniforms are one major contributor to the rise in sales. Although there are still many concerns on the minds of the country's consumers, economists are hoping that the solid numbers will continue over the next few months, as the nation looks to recover from the recession.

Retail sales in the United States increased for the third straight month in September. Retailers and economists alike are hoping these positive numbers mean that economic conditions are and will continue to improve.

According to a report from the Census Bureau, retail sales rose by 1.1 percent from August, which represents a year-over-year increase of 5.4 percent, reports Retail Customer Experience. Throughout September, consumers spent approximately $412.9 billion. The previous month's total for retail sales was initially estimated to have increased by 0.9 percent from July, but the Bureau revised that figure to 1.2 percent. The three consecutive months of positive spending has many economists believing that it could turn into a continued trend, the source states.

On the other hand, some large retailers experienced less-than-expected sales during the month. Retailing Today reports that Macy's and Kohl's department stores did not bring in as much as anticipated. Despite this, economists are telling retailers to prepare for a successful holiday shopping season.

"This should set up to be a good holiday season," said Ken Perkins, president of Retail Metrics LLC, as quoted by the source. "Consumers needed to take a breather once the back-to-school season is over."

For the month of September, British retailers experienced better-than-expected sales from consumers, increasing by 0.6 percent from the previous month. This follows a 0.1 percent drop in August.

Bloomberg Businessweek reports that according to the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics, the results were higher than expected, as economists had anticipated only a 0.4 percent gain. Research by the office suggests that one of the main contributors to the increase was the amount of consumers who flocked to store to purchase winter clothing and school uniforms, the news source states. Clothing retailers saw a 2.1 percent rise from August.

The recent numbers are giving the country hope, as many believe it could be a sign that the U.K economy is improving, The Guardian reports. Since the retail results from this summer's London Olympics, along with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, were not as successful as was hoped for, the country is looking for some signs of growth.

"This is a marked improvement from the low growth seen over the past two years and suggests that after experiencing tough trading conditions for a prolonged period of time, retailing conditions could be improving now," Berina Urici, an economist at Barclays Capital, told the source. 

The steadily improving conditions of the American economy have given both retailers and consumers more confidence about the upcoming holiday season. However, although customers are planning to spend more on purchases this year, they are still going to be conservative when it comes to buying items and gifts.

According to a recent report by the National Retail Federation (NRF), the average estimated amount each shopper will spend in the upcoming months is $749.51, up from the $740.57 average that was paid in 2011. The economy is still continuing to impact holiday purchases, although fewer Americans are allowing current conditions to have an effect on their shopping. The NRF found that last year, 62.2 percent of customers stated that the economic conditions had an impact on their spending. For this year, that number has dropped to 52.3 percent. NRF executives believe that to save money, Americans will use discounts, coupons and other options to keep their holiday purchases within their budgets.

When it comes to using these deals to cut costs, recent research by Booz & Co. revealed that 73 percent of shoppers expect to find discounts and other offerings to help them save money, reports Chain Store Age.

Retailers around the country are becoming more optimistic about the near future, as many expect that their operations will see a strong boost from this year's holiday shopping season. This is in large part due to the fact that consumers are more confident in their financial conditions as well as the improving economy. For this reason, businesses are steadily gearing up for the holiday shopping rush, both in stores and online, as the total amount of purchases is anticipated to meet or surpass the figure from last year.

Confidence is on the rise

One big indicator that holiday retail sales will be more than last year's amounts is the fact that both consumers and retailers are regaining their confidence. According to Kiplinger, the consumer confidence levels have been steadily improving over the past few months, and it is expected that they will continue to increase. On top of that, credit card delinquencies have been decreasing recently, meaning that Americans are making more conscious efforts to get out of debt. This boost in better financial management could contribute to higher holiday sales, the website states.

Another factor that is playing a large role in the optimism is the recent hiring numbers from retailers who are bringing on additional staff members to help with the influx of shoppers over the next few months. The source reports that big name businesses are increasing their amounts of seasonal employees from last year. Target is planning on hiring 90,000 workers, while Kohl's will bring on 52,700 – a 10 percent increase from 2011. Additionally, approximately half of these seasonal position will turn into permanent jobs next year, Kiplinger states.

Retailers can go targeted to boost sales

For retailers who want to put more effort into increasing their holiday sales, developing targeted discounts and offerings could very well give merchants the results they are looking for. Independent Retailer writes that attention should be given to selling to existing customers, as loyalty has already been established and they are more likely to buy items and products for their holiday lists from businesses they are familiar with.

But to start off, retailers need to gather and analyze consumer data, which can then be used to create a profile including their information. Studying these aspects will give merchants a better understanding of what patrons want and are looking for. Purchasing histories should also be taken into account, writes the source. This data can be leveraged to offer related products based on what shoppers bought in the past.

Every year has new trends and elements that retailers need to be aware of when preparing for the rush of holiday customers, and this year is no different. Research has found that online sales, comparison shopping and the use of mobile devices in stores will be significant components of this year's holiday season.

Chain Store Age reports that a recent survey by Booz & Co found nearly three-quarters of consumers stated that they anticipate finding effective discounts and deals this year when purchasing holiday gifts. More than half of respondents, 53 percent, said they are eagerly looking forward to the season. This is a significant increase from the 45 percent who stated the same in 2011.

"While technology enhancements and economic uncertainty will both impact this holiday season, there is a dose of optimism compared to 2011, as people shop with a value-seeking mindset," said Booz & Co chief retail strategist Thom Blischok.

According to a report released by Pitney Bowes, online shopping will be a large factor in holiday sales this year, Independent Retailer reports. Ecommerce retailers need to be prepared to streamline the internet shopping and purchasing process for customers, or risk losing out on valuable business. Additionally, using multiple channels to interact with and communicate with consumers can lead to many benefits in the form of higher satisfaction and retention.

Shoppers are not only looking to purchase the items and gifts on their lists this holiday season. They are also concerned about finding products and services that provide value while being affordable. These are just two aspects that customers are expecting when they begin to hit retail stores over the next two months. Additionally, all signs are pointing to a successful holiday season, as retailers are anticipating higher sales as consumers begin to regain their confidence in the economy.

Consumers also want free shipping

When it comes to shopping online, buying items from retailers provides convenience and easier comparison with other products. However, these are not the only things that customers are looking for from retailers for this upcoming holiday season. According to recent research from The E-tailing Group and MarketLive, 85 percent of consumers stated they would be willing to purchase gifts from an online retailer if they were offered free shipping, reports Internet Retailer. However, price and value also ranked high on their list, with 85 percent saying they are looking for affordable options and 87 percent stating they want products with value.

Additionally, the traditional days that consumers normally shop, such as Black Friday, are also changing. The research found that last year, 52 percent of respondents hit retail stores the day after Thanksgiving, and 53 percent plan to do so this year. However, the number of shoppers that will be buying items the weekend after Thanksgiving dropped, as only 47 percent stated they plan on purchasing from retailers during those days, compared to the 51 percent who did so in 2011.

Consumer sentiment on the rise

American consumers are also increasingly gaining their confidence in the economy, which could result in better-than-expected retail sales for this year's holiday season. The most recent Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan found that consumer sentiment reached its highest level in five years during October, coming in at an index of 83.1. This represents a significant increase from September's figure of 78.3.

These numbers, coupled with the recent drop in the nation's unemployment rate, could mean the economy is finally picking up its pace once again.

"What changed was how they (consumers) evaluated economic conditions," survey director Richard Curtin said in a statement. "Economic conditions during the year ahead were expected to be 'good' by more consumers, and more consumers expected 'good' economic times over the next five years."

Thanksgiving is all about food, family and relaxing. But the day after the Thursday holiday, more commonly known as 'Black Friday,' sees a rush of consumers flocking to retail stores throughout the country to take advantage of discounts and deals. While recent research has found that last year's Black Friday significantly contributed to retail holiday sales, many merchants are now extending their day after Thanksgiving sales hours to accommodate more shoppers. This trend has some industry experts believing that Black Friday may soon become longer than just one day.

Thanksgiving Day could be included in Black Friday

It could be viewed as the death of Black Friday, or simply an extension of it, as more retailers are now opening their stores to consumers on Thanksgiving night, according to the U.S. National Retail Report 2012 Forecast by Terranomics. In 2011, Toys R Us and Walmart were among the businesses that opened their doors at 9 p.m. for shoppers the evening of Thanksgiving. Many others, including Old Navy, Ann Taylor, Abercrombie & Fitch and GameStop, waited until midnight to allow consumers to come in. Many companies are also extending their deals beyond the Friday after Thanksgiving for those customers who cannot get to stores right away. While many employees are not happy with these methods, retailers are determined to bring in shoppers to boost holiday sales.

Terranomics anticipates that this trend will continue to grow, as more merchants will open their doors at earlier hours and keep them open to accommodate customers eager to take advantage of discounts and begin their holiday shopping. Retailers are also looking for ways to beat out competition, and these strategies allow them to do just that.

Extended Black Friday could have significant impact

The extension of Black Friday hours and sales could have a significant impact on this year's holiday sales. The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that retailers will see a 4.1 increase from last year in consumer purchases over the coming months, both online and in stores. The total amount is anticipated to reach $586.1 billion.

"This is the most optimistic forecast NRF has released since the recession," stated NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay. "In spite of the uncertainties that exist in our economy and among consumers, we believe we'll see solid holiday sales growth this year. Variables including an upcoming presidential election, confusion surrounding the 'fiscal cliff' and concern relating to future economic growth could all combine to affect consumers' spending plans, but overall we are optimistic that retailers promotions will hit the right chord with holiday shoppers."