How can brands make sure they are prepared for the holiday season?

We know that COVID-19 has irreversibly changed the way people discover products, shop, and buy. Now people are enjoying the experience of shopping in person but we are seeing more of a hybrid type of shopping: order online and pick up in person.

The holiday forecast for 2021 is expected to grow 7% compared to a year ago.

Deloitte sees holiday retail sales climbing 7% to 9%, better than the 5.8% increase it tracked in 2020. A forecast by Mastercard SpendingPulse said holiday retail sales should rise 7.4% from a year earlier and climb 11.1% on a two-year basis, fueled by a rebound in in-store shopping and persistent consumer demand.

Some big box stores like Home Depot said it sold out of an early release of Haloween decorations, which could be an indicator of big sales for Christmas decorations.

Retailers want to move goods quickly but the ever-present problem of hiring challenges persist. This will determine how well some of the big stores do this holiday season.

Experts are telling us not to expect too many deals this season.

Deals will start and end earlier, according to Deloitte vice chair of the U.S. retail and distribution Rod Sides. He expects many consumers’ holiday shopping to begin before Thanksgiving this year and finish weeks ahead of usual.

Shoppers are heading back to the stores. This is very good news for the retail industry, especially the small, downtown shops. People are more likely to make an impulse purchase when they shop in person.

Apparel sales — both in stores and online — are expected to grow 46% from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 compared with the year-ago holiday period, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse. Jewelry sales are forecast to surge 59%. Luxury sales, excluding jewelry, are predicted to rise a whopping 93%, MasterCard said.

There may be some frustrations this holiday hopping season due to chain supply issues and items being out of stock. Store owners will have to find a way to find other items that are available to keep the customer happy and coming back. If the retailer can be creative and pivot with some of their inventory, it will be a much more positive holdiay season.

This may be a challenging shopping season for retailers, but all the experts say that consumers are ready to buy! Happy Shopping

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