Holiday Sales Expected To Increase 4%

(Undated) -- The National Retail Federation is projecting holiday sales for November and December to rise this year. President and CEO Matthew Shay says this could mark the biggest holiday season in a while. The National Retail Federation predicts a four-point-one-percent increase to about 617-billion-dollars. Shay says it's the highest number in the post-recession era, much higher than the ten-year average of two-point-nine-percent. He says many people feel like they've recovered from the recession, and falling gas prices could help shoppers spend more. That, Shay says, would put more money into the economy.