Much as consumers and businesses have pined for a return to “normal,” 2021 has brought surprises and challenges of its own.
While last year’s holiday season took place under a cloud, with COVID-19 raging out of control in the U.S., this year consumers in many areas have reasons to feel safe shopping in person and visiting family, with vaccines widely distributed and cases falling overall from their most recent peak in September.
Vaccines, job upticks and government stimulus have all led to a demand surge this year. Going into the holidays, retail sales are so strong that even a disastrous, sudden slowdown in sales in the latter months of 2021 would still make for a record or near-record season, according to Wells Fargo analysts.
