ShopperTrak: Revised seasonal retail sales expected to increase 4.0%

Chicago -- A better-than-expected retail performance in November should positively impact the holiday shopping season, according to ShopperTrak, prompting the company to revise its holiday season forecast upward.



According to ShopperTrak’s Retail Sales Estimate (NRSE), sales during the upcoming holiday shopping season (Nov./Dec.) are now expected to increase 4.0% versus last year (up from the 3.2% most recently anticipated), while the company’s Retail Traffic Index (SRTI) is forecasting a 1.8% traffic increase for the same period (an increase over the 1.0% rise recently reported).



Developed by ShopperTrak, the NRSE provides a nationwide benchmark of retail sales. It is derived from the U.S. Commerce Department's GAFO (general merchandise, apparel, furniture, sporting goods, electronics, hobby, books and other related store sales) statistic, as well as ShopperTrak proprietary industry intelligence on shopper movement and sales statistics.



The ShopperTrak Retail Traffic Index measures traffic across five separate retail segments including total U.S. retailing.