It’s no secret that for many, the holiday shopping season starts well before the turkey and mashed potatoes ever hit the Thanksgiving table. Holiday sales are advertised earlier each year, with many retail stores announcing this week that they will open on Thanksgiving to get a jumpstart on the holiday shopping tradition known as Black Friday. Will consumers be able to shell out as much from their pockets as previous holiday seasons? How does the holiday shopping season impact the economy overall? What impact does it have when stores like REI and Nordstrom make pointed remarks about staying closed on Thanksgiving? James Wood, Ivory Boyer Senior Fellow at the U’s Policy Institute and David Eccles School of Business, can speak to retail sales data and the forecast for the economy as the holiday season gears up.
Phone: 801-581-7165 | Email: jim.wood@utah.edu