Consumer Behavior
Retail holiday sales to exceed $1T for first time in 5 years
November 12, 2025
The holiday retail sales season, between November and December, will grow between 3.7% and 4.2% which could bring total spend to just over $1 trillion, according to the National Retail Federation.
In 2024 holiday sales increased 4.3%, compared to 2023, and hit $976.1 billion, according to a NRF press release.
"American consumers may be cautious in sentiment, yet remain fundamentally strong and continue to drive U.S. economic activity," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in the release. "We remain bullish about the holiday shopping season and expect that consumers will continue to seek savings in nonessential categories to be able to spend on gifts for loved ones."
Retailers are hiring additional support to meet consumer demand this holiday season, according to NRF which expects retailers to hire between 265,000 and 365,000 seasonal workers, in line with a slower-paced labor market. By comparison, there were 442,000 seasonal hires in 2024.
