WASHINGTON – Congestion at retail container ports is expected to ease in the first half of 2022 as import growth slows, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. “We’re not going to see the dramatic growth in imports we saw this time last year,
WASHINGTON – National Retail Federation chief economist Jack Kleinhenz said Tuesday that the Federal Reserve’s efforts to curb inflation should not derail the U.S. economy’s continued growth. “There is plenty of room to raise rates without threatening the economy,” he said. Kleinhenz’s remarks came in the February issue of NRF’s Monthly Economic Review, which said
WASHINGTON – Valentine’s Day spending is expected to reach $23.9 billion this year, up from $21.8 billion in 2021 and the second-highest year on record, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. “Following the historic level of consumer spending over the winter holidays, it appears
WASHINGTON – Retailers expect more than $761 billion in merchandise sold last year to be returned by consumers, according to a report released on Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and Appriss Retail. This accounts for an average of 16.6 percent of total U.S. retail sales, which soared to $4.583 trillion in 2021. “As total
WASHINGTON – Walmart U.S. president and CEO John Furner has been elected chairman of the National Retail Federation’s board of directors. Furner replaces former Qurate Retail, Inc. president and CEO Mike George, who has served in the role since 2020. “We are grateful to Mike George for his exceptional leadership as chairman of NRF over
WASHINGTON – Retail sales during 2021’s November-December holiday season grew 14.1 % over 2020 to $886.7 billion, easily beating the National Retail Federation’s forecast and setting a new record despite challenges from inflation, supply chain disruptions and the ongoing pandemic, NRF said Friday. The number includes online and other non-store sales, which were up 11.3%
WASHINGTON – The COVID-19 omicron variant will bring uncertainty to the economy in 2022 and could contribute to inflation, but is unlikely to cause widespread shutdowns or slowdowns, National Retail Federation chief economist Jack Kleinhenz said on Wednesday. “Even with the experience of the past two years, there is no model that can predict how
WASHINGTON – With the holiday season “off to a good start,” the National Retail Federation’s chief economist now expects consumer spending to exceed his October forecast, overcoming supply chain disruptions, inflation and challenges like the new COVID-19 omicron variant. “Now that we’re in December, the holiday shopping season is nearing the finish line,” said Jack
WASHINGTON – Nearly 2 million more people than last year are expected to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year, according to a survey released Wednesday by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. “We’re expecting another record-breaking holiday season this year and Thanksgiving weekend will play a major role as
WASHINGTON – Retail sales rose in October as many consumers began holiday shopping early to avoid any shortages amid pandemic-driven supply chain disruptions that are dominating businesses and shoppers this holiday season, the National Retail Federation said Tuesday. “Retail sales data for October reflects the enduring strength of consumers’ finances and willingness to spend as
ARLINGTON, Va. – Retail groups applauded a court ruling blocking enforcement of the Biden Administration’s mandate that employers require workers to get vaccinated for COVID-19, or adopt a policy requiring employees to choose to either be vaccinated or undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear a face covering at work. The National Retail Federation and
WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation issued on Tuesday the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay regarding the organization’s involvement in a multi-trade association lawsuit against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for its COVID-19 employer-based vaccination and testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). “We are deeply concerned about the timing for implementing
WASHINGTON – Imports are expected to remain at near-record levels through the holiday season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. But bottlenecks remain a challenge. “Dockworkers are unloading ships as fast as they can, but the challenge is to move the containers out
WASHINGTON – This year’s holiday spending has the potential to shatter previous records, the National Retail Federation said Wednesday, forecasting that holiday sales during November and December will grow between 8.5% and 10.5% over 2020 to total between $843.4 billion and $859 billion. The numbers (which exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants) suggest that
