Retail Gets Real · with Jack Kleinhenz · October 14, 2019 · 19 min
Summary
The NRF's Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz breaks down the 2019 holiday sales forecast, predicting a 3.8% to 4.2% growth to nearly $730 billion. This episode explains the economic drivers and consumer confidence levels influencing these projections, offering retailers crucial context for their Q4 strategies. Understand the macroeconomic landscape to better prepare for the critical holiday shopping season.
Key takeaways
NRF predicted 2019 holiday sales growth of 3.8-4.2% over 2018, totaling $727.9 billion to $730.7 billion.
Key economic indicators like consumer confidence, employment, and wage growth are critical factors in forecasting holiday spending power.
Retailers should analyze macroeconomic trends to inform inventory, marketing, and staffing strategies for peak seasons.
Understanding the broader economic outlook helps anticipate potential challenges or tailwinds in consumer spending behavior.
This forecast provides a benchmark for evaluating 2019 holiday retail performance and planning future seasonal campaigns.
NRF forecasts that 2019 holiday sales will grow between 3.8% and 4.2% over 2018, to between $727.9 billion and $730.7 billion. NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz discusses what's behind those numbers and the state of the economy heading into the holidays. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
