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Fueled by low unemployment, strong income growth and high consumer confidence, the holiday shopping season this year will be a strong one for retailers in the US. In its holiday retail forecast, eMarketer has raised its projections from its Q3 2018 forecast, specifically for ecommerce sales and brick-and-mortar retailers.

A positive US macroeconomic backdrop points to strong growth across every retail channel, but retailers should pay attention to seven key trends that will determine their ultimate success for the 2018 holiday season.

For the 2018 holiday season, eMarketer expects total US retail sales to grow 4.1% to $986.8 billion, with ecommerce jumping 16.2% to $123.4 billion.

More than half of respondents (54%) plan to shop for premium groceries this holiday season, according to a recent survey from Accenture.

Focusing on the holiday season is important, but incorporating the data you've collected year-round will likely make it more actionable. George Gallate, principal at MKTG2.U, spoke with eMarketer's Danielle Drolet about how retailers can leverage the data they've collected throughout the year for an effective holiday customer experience.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, holiday shoppers have 32 days to complete their gift-giving checklists. This is the most time retailers will ever have, and it only happens every seven years. Dawn Erksa, senior director of marketing for The Home Depot spoke with eMarketer's Danielle Drolet about the home improvement giant's upcoming seasonal plans.

As we coast into October, the holiday season is just on the horizon. What changes in shopping behavior can retailers expect this year?

Despite the push to drive holiday shoppers to ecommerce, Hickory Farms still sees a big part of their seasonal sales through brick and mortar. Judy Ransford, CMO of the Chicago-based specialty food company spoke with eMarketer's Andrew Lipsman about their holiday outlook for both online and offline.

Mounting evidence shows that the holiday shopping season is starting sooner. But is this Christmas creep consumer-driven or the result of retailers planting seeds in the public's mind earlier in the year?

This report analyzes the holiday shopping habits of consumers in Europe, particularly the adoption of Black Friday.