Florida Retailers Happy Over Holiday Shopping Results

 The Florida Retail Federation (FRF) highlighted a report from the National Retail Federation showing a 3 percent increase in holiday sales to $626.1 billion across the nation. 

The FRF highlighted those numbers on Friday afternoon and noted that Florida was on target to see higher numbers in the 4-5 percent range. The National Retail Federation showed a 9 percent increase in online shopping which stands at $105 billion. 

“The warmer weather played a big role in impacting sales nationwide, but thankfully Florida isn’t as dependent on winter clothing sales and our retailers were able to weather the storm this season,” said FRF President/CEO Randy Miller.  “Our more than 270,000 retailers did a tremendous job of listening to what consumers were demanding, and adjusted their merchandise and sales discounts accordingly, resulting in another positive holiday season and a win for Florida’s economy.

“This improvement in over-the-year sales shows the strength of retail as well as its importance on our economy,” Miller added. “This is a great sign of Florida’s continued growth, combined with a healthy housing market, high consumer confidence, and an increase in tourism and job creation.”