Ring in the Optimism

Retail stores are stocking less merchandise than in years past, but holiday sales look bright.

November 30, 2009 | by Brendan Cosgrove

EVANSTON, Ill. --- The National Retail Federation reports that Americans spent $41.2 billion over the Thanksgiving weekend as the holiday shopping season began. Michael Mazzeo, associate professor of management and strategy at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, discusses the strategies used by retailers this year and how they might impact consumers.