National Retail Federation expects a strong finish to the holiday season

The National Retail Federation expects “a strong finish to the holiday season,” with sales numbers expected to be much higher than projected several months ago.

Holiday sales during November and December are expected to increase between 3.6% and 5.2% over 2019, to a total between $755.3 billion and $766.7 billion nationwide. This is a 3.5% increase in average holiday sales over the past five years.

“Consumers have shown they are excited about the holidays and are willing to spend on gifts that…