FTI Consulting, Inc.
FCN, the global business advisory firm dedicated to helping
organizations protect and enhance their enterprise value, today released its
2015 Holiday Retail Forecast, projecting a 3.9 percent increase in retail
sales for the 2015 holiday season. FTI Consulting's Retail & Consumer
Products practice expects slightly stronger results than the Company's 2014
forecast, but weaker than last year's 5.2 percent year-over-year increase in
holiday sales.
In this year's forecast, the firm's Retail & Consumer Products practice
experts note that early coverage on the 2015 holiday season is neither
encouraging nor discouraging. A late Labor Day this year means that analysts
are still entrenched in analyzing back-to-school season sales data, with the
consensus saying so far that the season was just 'okay'. Additionally,
seasonal hiring plans for the 2015 holiday are showing mixed results, but
mostly in-line or less than last season's hiring.
FTI Consulting's experts also note that consumer confidence remains fairly
high, but has backed off its post-recession peaks of mid-year when most
confidence polls were at eight-year highs. Additionally, wage gains remain
weak, having improved from low post-recession levels, but not nearly large
enough to encourage robust spending.
"Despite the glimmer of hope the market had for the U.S. retail sector as we
entered 2015, today's retail environment still lacks vigor," said Bob Duffy,
Global Leader of FTI Consulting's Corporate Finance/Restructuring segment
and the firm's Retail & Consumer Products practice. "Our 2015 holiday sales
forecast is in line with a year of continued weak consumer spending."
FTI Consulting will release its full 2015 Holiday Retail Report: Still No
Urge To Splurge in November 2015.
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