Dec 20, 2019

Crossing Things Off of Lists By Tim Hodson

Well, it’s Christmas week.

Are you ready for the holidays, or are you still crossing things off your list?

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), approximately 148 million Americans were predicted to hit the malls and department stores to finish up their last-minute Christmas shopping over the weekend — now dubbed “Super Saturday” to go along with Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The NRF is expected to release the final numbers later today, but this year is predicted to be a nearly 10% increase over 2018’s 134 million Super Saturday shoppers.

NRF has forecast that sales will total between $727.9 and $730.7 billion, with consumers expected to spend an average $1,048 this holiday season — up 4% percent over last year.

“While many people started holiday shopping early, those who waited until Thanksgiving weekend are feeling the pressure due to the limited number of days this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Matthew Shay, NRF president and CEO. “The last Saturday before Christmas has become the biggest shopping day of the year, and we expect an impressive turnout by procrastinators and those who just want to take advantage of really good deals.”

Was your Saturday super? Are you suffering from a manic Monday today?

I hope you get everything crossed off your list in time and enjoy the holidays with friends and family!

Take the Time to Nominate

Don’t forget, we will be accepting nominations for GPN’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 through Jan. 21, 2020.

If you’ve got some spare time over the holidays, why not get your nominations in early?

We are looking for 40 men and women (under the age of 40) who demonstrate superior leadership, creativity, compassion and innovative thinking in their personal and professional lives.

Just go to www.gpnmag.com/40-under-40-nomination and fill out the online form.

Happy holidays from everyone at GPN!

— Tim