Spending Season: Experts, retailers predict healthy holiday sales

A good back-to-school season in retail sales has a Purdue University expert predicting an equally successful season for holiday retail sales.

Richard Feinberg, a Purdue professor of consumer sciences and retailing, said many retailers have announced increases in hiring for the holidays, a sign retailers have higher confidence going into their busiest season.

“There is a reason for retailers to be confident,” he said. “The large chains had a relatively positive back-to-school season, which is the big predictor of how the holiday season will go.”

Local retailers hope Feinberg is on the money.

Tina Gills of the Seymour J.C. Penney store said it will hire seasonal employees for the holiday sales period, but probably no more than usual.

“We want to make sure we have the right customer service experience during the holiday season,” she said. “We had a solid back-to-school season, and we will apply the same to the holiday season.”

Goody’s store manager Katrina Ames said that on top of adding assistance for the holiday season, the store possibly will change hours and stay open until 9 p.m. It also could add more employees to make up for that change.

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