Even though it’s only very early fall, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in many of the stores that we go. Santa must be anticipating a mad rush on limited supplies as multiple major retail chains already have their trees and trimmings out for sale.
Typically, late summer and early fall is when all the retail holiday predictions are published. The key words that are bubbling up in this year’s cloudy crystal ball are early, inflation, recession, discounts, and the continuing battle between physical and digital retail. Timing of economic cycle will potentially lead to more winners than losers.
COVID has moved to the rear-view mirror and it has been replaced by financial headwinds. “In fact, concerns related to COVID have decreased significantly, from 52% (in 2021) to 16% this year, while the financial concerns have surged 153%.” It is now time for my annual summary of those prognostications, along with my own thoughts for Retail Holiday Season 2022.
