Big retailers are upbeat on prospects for holidays

Retailers have begun to say that this year’s holiday season is more promising than those in the recent past. The evidence so far is mostly anecdotal. Back-to-school shopping in August was better than expected and store executives, citing a momentum perceived among consumers who have not had to confront a major international crisis in recent months, think that sales growth and profits will outshine those of the last three years. In one closely watched sign of that optimism, some stores are hiring more holiday workers than usual. Others are holding steady on the employees, but deploying them differently or increasing training hours, in hopes of winning customers.

As reported by the DMA