Retailers are heading into the heart of the holiday season with a heap of concerns, from consumers cutting back on non-essentials and anxious over the economy, to higher prices from tariffs, inflation and potential stockouts.

Yet many retailers expect to pull through the 2025 holiday season with satisfactory, if modest, gains. Walmart, Amazon, Gap, TJX and Ross Stores have raised guidance for the year, reflecting confidence in the fourth quarter. And other retailers that have been performing well this year — Aritzia, Vuori, Primark, Bloomingdale’s, Abercrombie & Fitch, Costco and Ann Taylor-parent Knitwell should emerge from the 2025 holiday season in decent shape.

Several factors will fuel holiday gains. The S&P 500 index is up 11 percent this year, adding to the nation’s wealth factor.

See Full Page