NEW YORK — You won’t find uncommonly deep discounts, but you won’t have to worry about not finding something to buy, either. For the first time in three years, the Christmas season is looking brighter for stores and shoppers alike.
Retailers are trying to attract late shoppers with measured discounts and other gimmicks, including pulling all-nighters and pushing more last-minute gifts.
Consumers are more primed to spend than they have been in several years. Projections for holiday spending are starting to approach pre-recession levels. The National Retail Federation and the research firm ShopperTrak both raised their holiday forecasts this week.
Shoppers spent more than expected in November, helped by early discounts. And even though they’ve backed off more in early December than stores had hoped, analysts and retailers aren’t worried.
That’s because a burst of spending happens in the 10 days before Christmas, a period that accounted for 34 percent of holiday sales last year, up from 31 percent in 2006, according to ShopperTrak.
Store inventories are not as depleted as last year, when merchants scared about having too many leftovers began the season with skimpy offerings.
The National Retail Federation raised its holiday forecast to 3.3 percent from its original projection that sales would climb 2.3 percent. That would put holiday sales at $451.5 billion, close to the holiday 2007 levels of $452.8 billion and well above 2006’s $444.7 billion.
A lot depends on this weekend, the last before Christmas. If stores don’t make their sales goals, shoppers may see steeper discounts in the final days. Stores are betting that won’t happen.
Macy’s Inc. has increased the number of stores pulling all-nighters starting next Tuesday to 14 from last year’s 12; a few others will stay open until 2 a.m. next week.
So far, analysts say, Target’s 5 percent discount for paying with the discounter’s branded debit and credit card is stealing sales from rivals.
ShopperTrak, which tracks sales at more than 70,000 outlets, now expects holiday sales to rise 4 percent over last year.
