Deloitte forecasts 4.5-5% growth in U.S. retail sales

Consulting company Deloitte expects a stronger increase in retail sales in the U.S. during the Christmas and New Year celebrations than last year. According to her forecast, sales will grow by 4.5-5%-5% compared to the same period a year earlier and will amount to more than 1.1 trillion dollars. It is expected that the index of online stores will rise by 14-18%. Their sales will be approximately 144-149 billion dollars. The company's specialists explain their forecast by the fact that the U.S. economy is showing monthly job growth, and the unemployment rate has come close to a record low. The favorable situation in the U.S. labor market will contribute to the growth of Americans' spending during the holiday period. Last year's official report for the Christmas and New Year holidays showed sales rose 3.1 percent to $1.09 trillion. Online sales totaled $126.4 billion, up 11.2 percent.