Holiday Sales Expected to Rise

All signs point to a more prosperous holiday shopping season. In a report conducted by Deloitte, consumers are expected to increase holiday spending between 4 and 4.5 percent this year—or between $963 and $967 billion. Improvements in the stock and real estate markets are said to be driving consumer confidence. Retailers with a mobile presence will likely benefit from this boost, bringing in approximately 8 percent of retail sales this holiday season. The report also suggests that non-store sales will account for 13 percent of the total.