How much impact does the holiday season have on US retail?
How much impact does the holiday season have on US retail? Holiday retail Why two hyper-charged months matter more than the other ten High-level framing The holiday season impact on US retail is massively out of proportion to the calendar: roughly one-fifth of annual retail sales and an outsized share of profit are packed into November and December. That makes these weeks a stress test for pricing, inventory, e-commerce performance, and consumer confidence. If you work in or around retail, understanding how concentrated this demand is — and how fragile it can be — is key to reading results, planning strategy, and managing risk. The 20% that decides the year The short answer: the holiday season is a big deal. In a typical year, November–December accounts for about 18–20% of annual U.S. retail sales , even though it’s just one-sixth of the calendar. For some chains, especially toys, hobbies, and seasonal goods, 25–30% of y...