If 2010’s holiday sales are going to be any indication of business in 2011, then retailers have little to worry about. If only. They do, of course. The economy is still shaky, various surveys can’t come to a consensus about consumer sentiment and a new ghost of Christmas future has emerged – gas prices that could go as high as $5 per gallon. So much for basking in the glow of a 15.4% year-on-year increase in holiday shopping, as estimated by MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse.
Going into the New Year, retailers still have to navigate a tricky economy and cautious consumers, Forbes reports. On the other hand, they also shouldn’t forget one key lesson learned this holiday season – most didn’t offer deep discounts as they did in previous years, and consumers bought and bought and bought anyway. Profits are expected to be stronger as a result. Some thoughts, or keeping in the spirit of the time of year — New Year’s resolutions — to keep in mind as they perfect this balancing act.
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