WASHINGTON–The reluctance of consumers to spend, a late Black Friday and a shorter holiday shopping season hurt retail sales in November, according to the National Retail Federation.
In a statement issued this morning, NRF said November retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) fell 2 percent versus November of last year. Year-over-year sales were down across most retail categories, significantly in some cases. Sales at electronic and appliance stores dropped 5.4 percent, while stores that sell clothing and clothing accessories saw their sales plummet by 7.4 percent from November of last year. General-merchandise stores were one of the few categories that enjoyed a year-over-year increase last month; sales in this channel edged up 1.3 percent.
“Thanksgiving came too late in the month for retailers to see strong November sales,” said Rosalind Wells, NRF’s chief economist. “With five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, the holiday season will come down to December’s performance.”
NRF’s most current forecast calls for total holiday sales to rise 2.2 percent for this season, which encompasses November and December.