Holiday sales to increase as retailers face supply and labor challenges

Sales for the holiday season are expected to increase seven percent or more over last year, according to individual forecasts issued by Bain, Deloitte and Mastercard SpendingPulse. Getting there will not be without its challenges for retailers, however, as they deal with labor and product shortages. One benefit going into the season is that retailers will likely have to offer fewer discounts to move product and that should help protect margins as a greater percentage of sales are transacted online.