The Retail Outlook Is Bright, But Is There A Cloud Of Risk Over 2019?

The National Retail Federation (NRF) recently announced that retail sales are exceeding earlier projections. Tax reform paired with a number of positive economic inputs has resulted in more jobs and more spending. With this encouraging outlook, retailers have a lot of reasons to be excited about and anticipate the holidays — especially considering some retailers reap as much as 30 percent of their annual sales during the season. The underlining fundamentals are all here. Barring any major shifts in consumer sentiment, Holiday 2018 has a lot of potential and could mirror past record-breaking years. There is no better indication than the recent earnings releases from retailers like Walmart and Home Depot. So could holiday be impacted by looming risks surrounding tariffs and other geopolitical issues? The answer is: likely not. Many retailers have already received their goods in the country, and they are well prepared for holiday shoppers in a mere three months. Read more at Forbes.