Small businesses say cautious shoppers are seeking ‘cozy’ and ‘festive’ this holiday season WSOC TV [Video]

After the busy Black Friday holiday weekend, Kristen Tarnol, owner of Emerald City Gifts in Studio City, California, is already asking her supplier to send more more fuzzy alpaca scarves and warm slippers that were best sellers over the weekend.

“Even though it’s Los Angeles … I think people are looking for cozy items, really,” she said.

With a late Thanksgiving, the holiday shopping season is five days shorter than last year, and owners of small retail shops say people have been quick to snap up holiday décor early, along with gifts for others and themselves. Cozy items like sweaters are popular so far. But there’s little sense of the freewheeling spending that occurred during the pandemic.

Overall, The National Retail Federation predicts retail sales in November and December will rise between 2.5% and 3.5% compared with same period a year ago. Online shopping is expected to grow too. Adobe …