Santa Isn’t the Only Elf Shopping This Year

Chart of the Week for December 12-18, 2003

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and it appears that shoppers are comfortable buying those extra gifts on their lists this year as retail sales climbed in November. Consumer confidence also took a large 10 point jump for the month as consumers and retailers prepared for the busy shopping season. The Consumer Confidence Survey is a monthly measure of the public’s confidence in the health of the U.S. economy. Because it measures the mood of consumers towards buying, it can help predict future buying trends. If this is any indication of what is to come, retailers may be very pleased with their sales numbers this year.

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