Holiday Sales So Far

Q: I’m having a hard time telling how December sales are really going with all the different media accounts. What are your forecasts for Christmas?

A: Coming into the season, we expected at best single-digit gains over last year. However, we are seeing a sluggish start to December among most of our retailers, leading us to believe that sales will most likely be flat against last year. The good news is that weather has just turned wintry, so we may see a pop in outerwear sales and that will help.

Each year, consumers are waiting to buy later in the season, so we won’t know the real answer until it is all said and done, but unless the week before Christmas is really strong, expect even sales.

Date answered: 12/08/2009
Question raised by: Paul