Retailers want the holiday buying season to hit full speed in October as they brace for a sluggish and unpredictable end to the shopping year. The coronavirus pandemic upended the retail industry, closing some stores for months, spurring bankruptcies, moving shopping online and changing what consumers buy. Those forces, on top of a looming election, are shaking up what is traditionally the biggest sales period of the year.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 12, 2020 11:21 UTC