Projections for last year's holiday spending were modest as widespread concerns about the pandemic threatened retail's biggest time of year. This year, the expectations are much rosier, despite supply chain bottlenecks and factory shutdowns that have challenged retailers' ability to stock up for the season. The supply chain issues are also on top of the worker shortage retailers are facing, which has led many to increase wages and benefits in the hopes of attracting talent.

Nevertheless, research around the holiday season this year is largely predicting dramatic increases in sales. They can't all be right, and many reports vary in the details of just how much sales will rise, how much e-commerce will contribute to that increase and how much individual consumers plan to spend. Below, we've compiled a list of recent projections around the holiday season as shopping picks up.