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BUSINESS Tuesday 24 November 2020
Retail trade group sees solid holiday sales despite pandemic

NEW YORK (AP) — The Na- from restaurants, gas sta-
tional Retail Federation, tions and auto dealers.
the nation's largest retail The National Retail Federa-
trade group, expects that tion delayed the release
holiday sales could actu- of its forecast by about a
ally exceed growth seen month, citing the uncer-
in prior seasons, despite all tainty around the pandem-
the uncertainty surrounding ic.
the pandemic. Still, the group warns any
The reason? Shoppers are further shutdowns of stores
looking for opportunities as virus cases surge could
to spend and celebrate derail sales. And it empha-
the holidays during tough sized that any renewal of a
times. government stimulus pack-
The trade group said Mon- age would help the holi-
day that it predicts that days.
sales for the November When the pandemic was
and December period will declared in mid-March, es-
increase between 3.6% sential retailers like Target
and 5.2% over 2019 to a to- and Walmart were able to
tal ranging between $755.3 stay open while non-essen-
billion and $766.7 billion. tial stores like department
The numbers, which ex- stores were forced to close.
clude automobile deal- That further increased the
ers, gasoline stations and In this Nov. 29, 2019 file photo, a shopper carries a crockpot during Target's Black Friday sale, in dominance of big box
restaurants, compare with the Borough of New York. stores, while malls based
a gain of 4% to $729.1 bil- Associated Press clothing stores faced fur-
lion last year. Holiday sales ther peril. The temporary
have averaged gains of Kleinhenz in a statement. stock market, rising home ey for retail spending, he closures accelerated bank-
3.5% over the past five "There are risks to the econ- values and record savings added. ruptcy filings of a slew of
years. omy if the virus continues boosted by government NRF expects that online chains like J.C. Penney and
"After all they've been to spread, but as long as stimulus payments issued and other non-store sales, Neiman Marcus that were
through, we think there's consumers remain confi- earlier this year. Jobs and which are included in the already struggling.
going to be a psychologi- dent and upbeat, they will wages are increasing, en- total, will increase between Many mall-based stores
cal factor that they owe spend for the holiday sea- ergy costs are low and re- 20% and 30% to between and other small and mid-
it to themselves and their son." duced spending on per- $202.5 billion and $218.4 bil- sized businesses are still
families to have a better- Kleinhenz cited that house- sonal services, travel and lion, up from $168.7 billion struggling to recover head-
than-normal holiday," said holds have strong balance entertainment because of last year. Not included in ing into the heart of the
NRF Chief Economist Jack sheets buoyed by a strong the virus has freed up mon- total sales figure are sales holiday season.q

Google faces U.K. scrutiny over new advertising data revamp

By KELVIN CHAN Google. That means login, digital advertising. The re-
AP Business Writer advertising and other fea- port recommended the
LONDON (AP) — Google tures would be taken off British government adopt a
faces fresh regulatory scru- the open web and placed new regulatory approach
tiny in Britain over plans to under Google's control, the to governing digital giants
revamp its ad data system, group said. making big money from
after an industry lobbying The Competition and Mar- online ads.
group complained to the kets Authority confirmed it Google said the new tech-
competition watchdog received the complaint. nology will increase privacy
that the changes would "We take the matters raised for users while also support-
cement the U.S. tech gi- in the complaint very seri- ing publishers.
ant's online dominance. ously, and will assess them "The ad-supported web is
Marketers for an Open carefully with a view to de- at risk if digital advertising
Web, a coalition of tech- ciding whether to open a practices don't evolve to
nology and publishing formal investigation under reflect people's chang- In this Sept. 24, 2019, file photo people walk by a Google sign on
companies, said Monday the Competition Act," it ing expectations around the campus in Mountain View, Calif.
that it's urging the U.K. said in a statement, adding how data is collected and Associated Press
competition watchdog to that if the concerns need used," the company said.
step in and force Google urgent attention, it would Google's Chrome is the Third-party cookies allow changes will move the
to delay the rollout of its consider using "interim world's dominant web ad buyers to more effec- digital ad business "into
"privacy sandbox" sched- measures" to stop any sus- browser, and many others tively target their ads to the walled garden of its
uled for early next year. pected anti-competitive like Microsoft's Edge are web users. Privacy sandbox Chrome browser, where
The new technology would conduct pending a full in- based on its Chromium will deny publishers access it would be beyond the
remove so-called third par- vestigation. technology. Google con- to the cookies they use to reach of regulators." It
ty cookies that allow users The complaint follows up on trols more than 90% of the sell digital ads, which will wants a delay until au-
to be tracked across the concerns about Google's U.K.'s 7.3 billion-pound ($8.8 crimp their revenues by up thorities come up with long
internet by storing informa- new system that the watch- billion) search advertising to two-thirds, Marketers for term remedies to mitigate
tion on their devices, re- dog raised in a July report market, the CMA said in its an Open Web said. Google's dominance over
placed by tools owned by about online platforms and July report. The group said Google's key parts of the web.q