Holiday retail sales are projected to reach more than a trillion dollars this year. In fact, retail sales from November through December are expected to outpace last year between 3.7% and 4.2%. This is all according to data from the National Retail Federation.
However, inflation, high costs and economic uncertainty have Georgians rethinking how far they plan to spend and stretch their dollar in 2026. For a special edition of Feedback Friday on “Closer Look,” program host Rose Scott opened the phone lines to hear from callers. They discussed spending habits in 2025 and shared concerns for how they plan to navigate their spending in the new year.
Scott was joined by WABE contributor Tom Smith, an associate professor in the practice of finance at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, and Roger Tutterow, a professor of economics at Kennesaw State University. The professors discussed in more detail how the nation’s economy has been affected by inflation, fiscal policies and President Donald Trump’s proposal for tariff stimulus checks. They also shared insights about whether the U.S. could experience a recession in 2026.
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