By ERIN EDGEMON

Local retailers are already preparing for what is expected to be another big holiday shopping season. A big part of this preparation is hiring dozens of seasonal workers to handle the extra traffic.

The Washington, D.C.-based National Retail Federation projects retail sales will increase by 5 percent over last year, bringing spending in the November and December months to $457.4 billion. In 2005, the nation saw a 6.1 percent increase in holiday sales with retailers raking in $435.6 billion, according to the nation's largest retail trade association.

NRF doesn't keep track of seasonal employment.

With its booming economy, usually oblivious to what is going on in the nation as a whole, Rutherford County should see an even higher percentage increase in sales.

In just December alone, Rutherford County saw a 13.5 percent increase in retail sales from 2004 to 2005, based on data from the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
The additional sales tax revenue helps keep property taxes low and helps fund the ever-growing school systems, said local officials.

David Penn, director of the Business and Economic Research Center at MTSU, said there are some reasons to believe that Rutherford County will see a "little less spending growth" this year than last.

He didn't make any predictions but said Rutherford County usually sees between a 4 to 7 percent increase in retail sales from year-to-year. Penn didn't say how much of that is due to the holiday shopping season.

The cooling of the housing market both locally and nationally is one of the biggest indicators that the county won't see much growth in retail sales, he said.

A slowing in home sales means more people are watching where they are spending their money, Penn indicated.

If sales aren't going to be much higher than last year, then don't tell the retailers.

Target has been seeing 10 percent sales increases all year, said Jenny Webb, a manager over guest experience at the Old Fort Parkway store.

"We expect to see a 17 percent increase this (holiday) season over last," she said.

On the day after Thanksgiving alone, the Target store is expected to take in $680,000 in sales, Webb said, which is about the same as last year.

Promotions on the season's hottest toys and door buster deals will help boost sales this season, she said.

More than 100 seasonal workers have already been hired for the busy season, Webb said, and another 10 to 20 workers will be hired in the next few weeks.
Last year, she said the local store hired around 85 workers.

Due to high turnover and continual growth, Webb said many of these seasonal workers will be asked to stay on.

Randy Johnson, manager of the JCPenny in Stones River Mall, said he is expecting the store to see big sales this holiday season. But he has nothing to compare it to since a new JCPenny store, almost double the size of the old one opened in October.

"We will see a big increase because we have twice as big of store," he said.
Some 200 employees were hired for the new store before it opened.
Johnson said he didn't know how many additional workers were hired for the holiday season.

NRF provides another indicator to show retailers what kind of holiday season to expect.

Based on consumer surveys conducted for the retail trade association, the average shopper is expected to spend $791.10 this year on gifts and another $99.22 on themselves.

This is up from $738.11 that was apparently spent on gifts last year.
NRF president and chief executive officer Tracy Mullin said consumers want to celebrate this holiday "in style" and figure they can spend a little bit more on others since gas prices are coming down.

Erin Edgemon can be reached at 869-0812 and at eedgemon@murfreesboropost.com.