Representing a significant increase over last year’s 2.1% gain, the National Retail Federation expects Holiday retail sales to increase between 3.8% and 4.2% over 2018 to a total of between $727.9 billion and $730.7 billion. The forecast covers the months of Nov. and Dec., and excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants. NRF started with an even loftier prediction last year of 4.3% to 4.8% growth, but sales fizzled in Dec. after a strong initial push that saw shoppers begin making Holiday purchases earlier than ever before. That trend is expected to continue this year, as OpenX found in a ... Log in to view full article.