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November 22, 2021 • Issue 21:11:02

'Tis the season for shopping

stateside, we're partnering closely with our vendors and
transportation partners to move it quickly to our stores,
keeping our shelves well-stocked and ready for guests," the
company said.

Challenges remain for smaller merchants, however. "[P]
roducts may be tied up and the costs of moving them, once
here, are still elevated," Bartashus said. Technology giant
Oracle warned that consumers could sour on merchants
that lack sufficient inventory. Among those it surveyed in
September 2021, 47 percent said out-of-stock merchandise
topped their list for a bad shopping experience.
Banner year for spending

The NRF predicted year-end holiday shopping will
By Patti Murphy generate between $843.4 billion and $859 billion in sales
this year, a jump of between 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent
he 2021 year-end holiday shopping season is over 2020. The anticipated increases compare an average
shaping up to be the largest on record. That is, year-over-year growth rate of 4.4 percent over the past five
provided businesses manage to keep enough years. Retailers rang up $196.7 billion in sales during the
T merchandise on shelves to meet pent-up con- 2020 year-end holiday season.
sumer demand.
NRF's numbers exclude sales by automobile dealers, gas
"Pandemic-related supply chain disruptions have stations and restaurants. In the federation's Monthly
caused shortages of merchandise and most of this year's Economic Review, Kleinhenz wrote, "Consumers are in a
inflationary pressure," said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist very favorable position going into the last months of the
at the National Retail Federation. Complicating matters year and are spending because they can." NRF's president
will be the early shopping plans of many consumers, which and CEO Michael Shay concurred, stating, "There is
could pull down inventories sooner than expected, he considerable momentum heading into the holiday shopping
noted. "However, if retailers can keep merchandise on the season."
shelves and merchandise arrives before Christmas, it could
be a stellar holiday sales season," he added.

While supply chain issues have only recently been on Contributed articles inside by:
the minds of consumers, that's not the case for retailers. Tom Byrnes .............................................................................................17
"Planning for the holiday season happens months in
advance, and many retailers took extra measures to ensure Jeff Fortney .............................................................................................29
they ordered early, found some sort of capacity and started
building inventory earlier than usual," said Jennifer Chad Otar ................................................................................................32
Bartashus, senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Ellie Y. Katz ..............................................................................................34

Target, for example, chartered its own container ship to TOC on page 3
avoid delays and backed up ports, the company stated
in a recent letter to customers. "Once products arrive
Continued on page 27