Neel Mehta
Good news for retailers who already have decked out their stores for Christmas: IBM has predicted holiday sales are going to improve this year for consumer electronics, appliances and more.
IBM“™s report said sales will increase to about $10 billion this November and $13 billion in December, a 4 percent increase from the same months last year.
The forecast, based on 19 years of historical data and analytics software, also said sales momentum going into the month of November will be particularly strong. With the continuing popularity of online discounts such as Groupon, Internet retailers are advised to take advantage of the potential rise as well.
“The forecast indicates that retailers should be ready for a robust Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” said Global Business Services partner and IBM retail analytics leader Michael Haydock, referring to the Friday and Monday following Thanksgiving. “Retailers that staff up and stock up for November and invest in advertising are likely to have a substantial advantage in the marketplace.”
