Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

inbound

will Christmas be blue ... or green?

Hurricanes, slumping consumer confidence and the prospect of rising energy prices may have dimmed retailers' optimism about this year's holiday selling season, but they're not giving up hope. Those obstacles notwithstanding, the industry expects moderate holiday sales growth this year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). The group projects that total holiday retail sales will increase 5 percent over last year, bringing holiday spending to $435.3 billion. Last year's holiday sales, by contrast, rose 6.7 percent to $414.7 billion.

The NRF maintains that steady consumer spending and strong second- and third-quarter gains indicate potential for a solid holiday season, and it's undeterred by the prospect of surging energy costs. Gas and home heating oil prices are only part of the picture, the NRF points out. "A combination of many factors, including energy prices, the job market, disposable income, and consumer confidence, will ultimately affect retailers' sales this holiday season," says NRF chief economist Rosalind Wells. "Though it might be easy to label gas prices as the make-or-break factor for the holidays, it is crucial for analysts to look at the big picture instead of isolating one economic indicator to project sales."


Even so, it appears that retailers aren't taking any chances—they're rolling out the bargains early to lure price-sensitive shoppers." Consumers won't have to wait until the last minute to get the best deals this year because retailers are expected to be aggressive in their pricing strategies throughout the entire holiday season," says NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. "Stores are planning for holiday sales and promotions, so discounted prices won't have a negative effect on profits."

The Latest

More Stories

DHL graphic on online shopping marketplaces

DHL report shows seven factors about American online shoppers

Online merchants should consider seven key factors about American consumers in order to optimize their sales and operations this holiday season, according to a report from DHL eCommerce.

First, many of the most powerful sales platforms are marketplaces. With nearly universal appeal, 99% of U.S. shoppers buy from marketplaces, ranked in popularity from Amazon (92%) to Walmart (68%), eBay (47%), Temu (32%), Etsy (28%), and Shein (21%).

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

schneider app screenshot for owner operators

Schneider seeks more business with owner-operators

Transportation and logistics service provider Schneider National Inc. is reaching out to owner-operators, encouraging them to do more business with the Wisconsin company using an updated digital platform.

Schneider says its FreightPower platform now offers owner-operators significantly more access to Schneider’s range of freight options. That can help drivers to generate revenue and strengthen their business through: increased access to freight, high drop and hook rates of over 95% of loads, and a trip planning feature that calculates road miles.

Keep ReadingShow less
trucks used by jillamy 3PL

Texas 3PL Mode Global acquires Jillamy’s freight brokerage arm

The Texas third-party logistics firm (3PL) Mode Global has acquired the freight brokerage business of supply chain service provider Jillamy, saying on Monday that the deal advances its strategy of expanding its national footprint.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Mode Global said it will now assume Jillamy's comprehensive logistics and freight management solutions, while Jillamy's warehousing, packaging and fulfillment services remain unchanged. Under the agreement, Mode Global will gain more than 200 employees and add facilities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Illinois, South Carolina, Maryland, and Ontario to its existing national footprint.

Keep ReadingShow less
Clorox partnership helps suppliers meet carbon reduction targets

Clorox partnership helps suppliers meet carbon reduction targets

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) provider The Clorox Co. has partnered with Manufacture 2030 (M2030) to help Clorox's suppliers meet their carbon reduction targets and advance the company's long-term goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

In addition to its flagship Clorox bleach product, Oakland, California-based Clorox manages a diverse catalog of brands including Hidden Valley Ranch, Glad, Pine-Sol, Burt’s Bees, Kingsford, Scoop Away, Fresh Step, 409, Brita, Liquid Plumr, and Tilex.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. map with drought risk

Everstream Analytics quantifies how climate risk affects supply chains

Supply chain risk analytics company Everstream Analytics has launched a product that can quantify the impact of leading climate indicators and project how identified risk will impact customer supply chains.

Expanding upon the weather and climate intelligence Everstream already provides, the new “Climate Risk Scores” tool enables clients to apply eight climate indicator risk projection scores to their facilities and supplier locations to forecast future climate risk and support business continuity.

Keep ReadingShow less