Brisk Sales Expected for Holidays, Study Shows

Consumers and retailers alike are anticipating brisk sales this Christmas season--more so than last year, when fewer people expressed optimism about holiday shopping, according to an annual nationwide survey by Deloitte & Touche. In Southern California, the consulting group found, 81% of respondents said they will spend as much or more than they spent last year, or an average of $752, up from last year’s $735. The national average is pegged at $849, Deloitte said. Not all retailers will enjoy the sales boom, the survey found. Deloitte forecast a spending pattern similar to last year’s, which favored large discount stores over traditional department stores. Locally, however, only 28% of respondents said they will concentrate spending at discount department stores--just less than half the national percentage. Here, 26% said they would favor traditional mall department stores, as compared with 16% nationally.