A new report from Colliers International, called "The U.S. Retail Highlights: 2012 Outlook," notes some relevant trends that retail merchants should consider as they plan for the upcoming year.<\/p>\n
First, it's important retail brands realize that sales aren't expected to jump as much as they did last year. While they will still improve in 2012, they will do so at a slower pace. According to a report from the National Retail Federation, new sales will be up 3.4 percent in 2012, compared to the 4.6 percent increase observed last year.<\/p>\n
Ecommerce will also continue to play a pivotal role, Inc. magazine notes.<\/p>\n
"Ecommerce will grow exponentially, both in the way products are offered and purchased – with the latter seeing an influx in transactions via mobiles and tablets. Mobile sales this year are projected to climb 49 percent to $10 billion as retailers are seeing such devices as a bridge between their online and offline operations," the news source explains, citing the report.<\/p>\n
A separate report from comScore further illustrates the growing value of ecommerce – during the fourth quarter alone, online shopping was up 14 percent to $50 billion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A new report from Colliers International, called “The U.S. Retail Highlights: 2012 Outlook,” notes some relevant trends that retail merchants should consider as they plan for the upcoming year. Continue reading