I know the economic slump is a great source of anxiety for most of you. It certainly is for me.

I also know it doesn’t help when the media virtually ignores the positive. If you read publications such as Time and many others, you may begin to think there are no good signs out there at all.

This is particularly troubling as we approach the holidays.

Many reports have indicated that Christmas will be quite blue for many retailers. One of the sources for these reports is none other than the National Retail Federation (NRF), which predicts that holiday sales will increase only 2.2 percent during the holidays, compared to a decade-long average of 4.4 percent. Even worse, retail consultancy Archstone Consulting predicts only .5 percent to 1 percent growth, Time says.

This time of year, of course, is paramount for retailers, many of whom rely on Christmas shopping to fuel 40 percent of revenue.

But what Time and many others are not reporting is that online shopping remains strong. In fact, online spending is expected to increase 9 percent this year, the NRF says. And according to numerous surveys, shoppers and online retailers still remain optimistic about online retail.

In a recent survey by the NRF, 72 percent of online retailers believed e-commerce operations could better withstand a slowing economy than offline stores. In another study, commissioned by software provider Avail Intelligence, nearly 80 percent of polled consumers said they were going to shop online the same amount or more than they did during the 2007 holiday season.

The United States, as well as much of the world, is obviously facing serious economic uncertainty. But the fear that is peddled in much of the media is not tempered with positive news. Here are two more good signs you may not be aware of:

• Toys’R’Us plans on hiring 35,000 seasonal employees to deal with expected demand—the same amount hired last year. Toys’R’Us certainly would not be hiring this many people if the company didn’t expect parents to buy lots of toys.
• Gift cards sales are expected to soar during the 2008 holidays. NRF says these sales will increase 6.6 percent from the same period in 2004.

But e-commerce, many experts believe, will be the brightest star during these not-so-bright times. Stores such as Big Lots are starting to see this; the budget retailer is entering the e-commerce world this holiday season.

The reason Big Lots is entering the e-commerce world is that more consumers are turning to the Internet for their shopping needs.

One reason is for this trend is that online shopping eliminates the need to drive to and from stores. Another reason is that it saves money on gasoline.

But perhaps the best reason is the virtually endless choices that the Internet delivers. These choices, in turn, bring more competition and therefore better deals.

In a down economy, consumers are seeking these deals. Look for many cost-conscious consumers to flood the Internet in November and December. This may be a great time to test any special offers you have in your back pocket.

Stay tuned right here to find out how you can best prepare for—and profit from—this flood.

‘Till Next Time,
Joan
The eSecurity Diva