The National Retail Federation (NRF) has revised its annual forecast for 2021, anticipating U.S. retail sales will now grow between 10.5 percent and 13.5 percent to more than $4.44 trillion this year as the economy accelerates its pace of recovery.
“The economy and consumer spending have proven to be much more resilient than initially forecasted,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of NRF. “The combination of vaccine distribution, fiscal stimulus and private-sector ingenuity have put millions of Americans back to work. While there are downside risks related to worker shortages, an overheating economy, tax increases and over-regulation, overall households are healthier, and consumers are demonstrating their ability and willingness to spend. The pandemic was a reminder how essential small, mid-size and large retailers are to the everyday lives of Americans in communities nationwide.”
The revised forecast surpasses NRF’s initial projection of at least 6.5 perc