A slight boost in consumer buying late last winter caused some retailers to increase inventory, but the gradual slowing of the economy — again— may impact the expected recovery.
As such, “incremental increases in retailer inventories … are certainly going to hurt as they struggle to clear merchandise from what’s been a slow summer,” Ken Perkins, president of research firm Retail Metrics, told Fox Business.
But on a more positive note, discounters are also expected to do well as a sector, posting a 3% gain as consumers continue to seek low prices.