Insight Report 2 minutes PremiumNRF Forecasts 4.3%–4.8% Increase in US Holiday Sales Coresight Research October 8, 2018 Executive Summary The National Retail Federation (NRF) released its 2018 holiday forecast, which calls for a year-over-year sales increase of 4.3%–4.8%, taking total sales to $717.45–$720.89 billion, up from $687.90 billion last year. The 2018 forecast is below last year’s growth of 5.3% which was the largest increase since the 5.2% rise seen in 2010. This year’s forecast is above the five-year average of 3.9%. The forecast “reflects the overall strength of the industry,” including “a healthy economy and strong consumer confidence.”This year, there are 32 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, providing one more shopping day compared to last year. The NRF forecasts that retailers will hire 585,000–650,000 seasonal workers this holiday period, up from 582,500 last year. Click here to read Coresight’s coverage on US holiday retail and gain key retail insights for 2019 and prior years. Already a subscriber? Log in You are currently viewing a preview of this report. Please select an access option to view the full report. Hide Options - Show Options + Get unlimited access to all our research with one of our subscription plans. View Subscription Plans or Contact us to purchase this report. Contact us ✕ This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: Weekly UK Store Openings and Closures Tracker 2025, Week 25: Debenhams To Open Stores; Poundland To Close 68 StoresAnalyst Corner: Agentic AI—The New Wave of AI Opportunity, with Charlie PoonEarnings Insights 4Q24, Week 7: Costco, Inditex and Puma Lead with Solid Fourth-Quarter Growth—InfographicHigh-Tech Retailing—Four Technologies That Retailers Can Use to Enchant Consumers: Insights from the Retail Track at CES 2025