The
National Retail Federation released its 2013 economic forecast today,
projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and
restaurants) will increase 3.4 percent*, slightly less than the preliminary 4.2
percent growth seen in 2012. The subdued forecast comes on the heels of a
holiday season that went head-to-head with Washington’s political wrangling
over fiscal concerns, shifting consumers’ spending plans downward. In the
end, holiday sales in 2012 grew 3.0 percent.
