2013 Holiday Retail Sales “Flat”

It wasn’t very jolly for retail sales in Michigan during the just-completed 2013 Holiday shopping season. A new survey just released by the Michigan Retailers Association found overall holiday sales in the state rose an average of just 0.1%, with only 38% of retailers showing positive numbers for the November-December period, 41% experienced sales declines, and 21% reported “flat” sales. MRA President and CEO Jim Hallan says the holiday season was hurt by the wrath of mother nature. Hallan also blamed outdated government policies that favor out-of-state, online companies.