2021 Holiday Retail Forecasts and Predictions
Another holiday season is quickly approaching and with the rise of the Delta variant retailers still have a lot of uncertainty to contend with when crafting their holiday retail strategies.
One thing is certain: Retailers should be preparing now to react to changing shopping behaviors. To help readers develop their peak selling season plans, RIS spoke with retail experts to get their predictions and forecasts. We also scoured recent retail surveys and research to provide the top data needed to prepare.
Some of the biggest takeaways? Consumers are prepared to start shopping early this year, so be ready to roll by October to be safe. While most retailers are concerned about supply shortages, transparency with consumers will go a long way. Building safety stock now based on data will be an important strategy. Creative fulfillment will also be necessary to meet demand. And finally, even if shoppers return to stores, it’s a given e-commerce and the digital journey will be a large part of this shopping season, which includes buy-online-pickup-in-store and curbside pickup.
Below, RIS is pleased to present retailers with our second annual guide to the peak selling season.