(WWJ) -- Halloween is in the rear-view mirror, which means holiday shopping season is right around the corner, and many retailers are expecting it to be a record-breaking season.
The National Retail Federation is predicting holiday sales could be as high as 10% more than last holiday season as Americans prepare for a more festive season.
Jennifer Rook with the Michigan Retailers Association says consumers are likely to be shopping for electronics, makeup, personal grooming products and new clothes as more people return to work and holiday parties after many festivities were curtailed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rook tells WWJ while those sales have been trending in a positive direction, the MRA expects to see them trend even higher because people will be “decking themselves out” for the holidays.
“At this time last year, people were far more cautious,” Rook said. “Obviously, there were much more shutdowns. Things have opened up, increased with the anticipation of more booster shots coming, we do expect people to get out and about a lot more this holiday season.”
Rook says some people have more money to spend this year after scaling back during the pandemic, and retailers across the state are anticipating a busy season.
Shoppers are encouraged to get out now because what they want may not be there down the road, not only because of a projected busy holiday season, but also because of global shipping backlogs and delays.
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Shoppers are also being encouraged to shop at small, local businesses that are still navigating the perils of the pandemic.
“If anything, they’re telling customers to shop early. This is a message that has been echoed across the country and it resides here at home, too,” Rook says. “If you want something, consider the shop around the corner because chances are, they’re gonna have it in stock. If you see it, buy it.”
Rook says this year, shoppers are encouraged to visit at least three local small businesses.
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