Survey: Retailers show cautious optimism for holidays

San Francisco – U.S. retailers are showing cautious optimism for the upcoming holiday shopping season. According to a survey of 77 U.S, retailers in July 2013 with annual revenue of less than $20 million to $5 billion by e-commerce technology provider Baynote, 38% of respondents project an 11 to 20% year-over-year increase in online sales, with 22% predicting an increase of 21% or more.



In addition, 53% of respondents expect mobile transactions to account for a significant part of holiday revenue and 38% believe mobile will drive renewed in-store interest that will lead to increased revenue.



Furthermore, retailers plan to offer promotions, such as flash sales, buy-one-get-one free offers and free shipping, at selective times throughout the holiday season. Thirty percent of retailers will begin promotions prior to October 1; more than 40% of retailers will wait until early November.