“Spending data for December continues to show that consumers are shopping in good numbers as the holidays approach, and we expect the busiest days are still to come.”
“Consumers continued to spend right up to Christmas. Considering the post-holiday sales over the next few weeks and consumers' eagerness to purchase items they may not have received during the holidays, we expect that spending in the final days of 2004 will continue to rise.”
“The key factors helping to buoy spending over the November-December gift-buying period were continued employment gains coupled with a steep reduction in gas prices.”
“What we saw was a likely bifurcation of retailers this holiday season, with those catering to affluent consumers doing very well. The balance of retailers had to work harder for sales and do more discounting.”
