The election impact: How consumers are reacting
NEW YORK (AP) — Americans have been anxious about the contentious presidential election, and when they get fretful, they tend to stop shopping.
Retailers are hoping an improving job market and wage gains will get Americans in the mood to spend.
"Everywhere you turn — whether you're picking up a newspaper or watching television — political advertisements are taking up ad space that retailers typically use to get holiday shopping on the minds of consumers across the country," said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group.
The consulting group excluded the 2008 presidential election because the ballooning financial crisis that led to a precipitous drop in spending made it an outlier.
A. Consumer confidence has slipped a bit, but spending generally held up through September as income gains and an improving job market offset some of the uncertainty, according to the most current government reports.
[...] shoppers remain selective, shifting their spending more toward items like cars and appliances, says Ken Perkins, president of research firm Retail Metrics LLC.
Republican Donald Trump, who has railed about a "rigged" political system, said in the final presidential debate that he won't decide until the election ends whether he will accept its results.
Wal-Mart hasn't given many specifics, while Target says it's leaning more toward TV channels like the Food Network, HGTV and the Cinema channel.