Maybe there’s some holiday hope for retail businesses after all. The Associated Press reports retail spending rose 1.3 percent in November, more than twice the expected gain.
Maybe more telling is the fact that businesses stopped cutting inventories. That means higher factory production as companies restock depleted shelves.
Now some are wondering if the global economic recovery may be stronger than originally forecast. But economists caution that obstacles remain, including 10 percent U.S. unemployment.
Stores fear they may have to offer deeper discounts than planned this holiday season.
-Associated Press content
Know a small business you think we should write about? Contact Herald writer Amy Rolph at arolph@heraldnet.com.
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