We know that retail sales move with the seasons, but what about e-commerce retail sales? FRED has the data, so we can take a look. The graph shows this series is also very predictable. The general trend is a straight line, with a pattern of increasingly large spikes in the fourth quarter. But e-commerce seasonal patterns are particularly striking: Retail sales in general always rise in the fourth quarter, but e-commerce sales do so even more intensely.
This is why stores like Macy's are opening up on Thanksgiving Day (SEE: Macy's to open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving). They are trying to compete with the internet and those who sit down to order gifts after turkey dinner.
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