US retail trade group expects holiday season sales to grow more slowly Boston 25 News [Video]
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US retail trade group expects holiday season sales to grow more slowly Boston 25 News [Video]

NEW YORK — (AP) — The largest retail trade group in the United States said Tuesday that it expects consumers to spend more during the upcoming holiday shopping season but the growth in sales to be slower than last year due to concerns over persistent inflation and prices.

The National Retail Federation said its 2024 forecast indicates that shoppers will make $979.5 billion to $989 billion worth of purchases in November and December, which would represent a 2.5%-3.5% increase over the same two-month period a year ago.

However, the $955.6 billion spent during the 2023 holiday shopping season was 3.9% more than in 2022.

This year’s predicted pace is consistent with the average increase of 3.6% from 2010 to 2019. During the coronavirus pandemic, Americans ramped up their spending. Holiday season sales rose 9% in 2020 from the year before, and they soared 12.4% in 2021, according to the National Retail Federation.

The trade group makes its calculations based on government figures. The numbers …

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Saint Johnsbury manufacturing company to offer more job opportunities [Video]
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Saint Johnsbury manufacturing company to offer more job opportunities [Video]

A groundbreaking was held ahead of the expansion of a Saint Johnsbury manufacturing company on Thursday morning.Weidmann Electrical Technology will be adding a new warehouse, which is set to begin construction sometime in December. Additionally, pre-existing buildings at the plant will undergo renovations. The warehouse is expected to be finished around the same time next year. "I'd like to say how incredibly excited I am about this growth here in our community," vice president of finance at Wiedmann Carol Martin said. "We're closely tied in with our customers, and we need to meet their increased demand."The project will cost around $44 million in total. The State will provide $1.7 million over the next six or seven years. "They had other opportunities and other places they could have made this investment, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development Lindsay Kurrle said. So for them to choose here makes us incredibly happy, and we look forward to seeing that happen over the next year."The company specializes in producing insulation and other components for large transformers that power major cities. The company says the expansion will help to create about 60 to 70 jobs. Currently, around 300 people are employed at the company."In our expansion, we're going to have a bunch of different types of jobs, director of technology and innovation at Weidmann Kevin Biggie said. So we have lots of opportunities here from production employees to skilled, you know, machinists and technicians to engineers."The company said one of its goals is to get younger people involved with those jobs as well as the ones already offered. Barbara Rice has worked at the company for over 35 years and said she wants her family to have a legacy with Weidmann. "My son just started here in June, and I would like to see him 35- 40 years down the road staying here. Maybe my grandchildren will come here, Rice said. It's great for the community."