The Backroom: How the holidays are different this year
Heading into the season, shoppers and retailers alike are getting squeezed by tariffs and mounting economic uncertainty.
Throughout the first half of the year, retailers have repeatedly said on earnings calls that consumers are acting resilient. This is despite the fact that macroeconomic pressures, such as tariffs, are impacting both shoppers and companies alike.
Some retailers have continued to see sales rise, even in traditionally discretionary categories, while others are struggling to keep up.
But retailers are responding. Target, for one, recently announced an October deals event — joining Walmart, Amazon and others — to entice consumers to shop early. Ahead of the holidays, Target has doubled its merchandising assortment and expanded its same-day delivery capabilities to new markets.
The mass merchant’s vice president of experiential store operations, Michael Scrafford, recently told Retail Dive during a live virtual event that newness and meeting customers where they shop — in stores or online — is key this season.
The Backroom: How the holidays are different this year | Retail Dive