Some say that holiday shipping has already peaked. Port of Los Angeles photo.
High unemployment and a stalled U.S. economic recovery are giving retailers few reasons to feel confident about their prospects during the fast-approaching holiday season.
“2010 has already hit its peak and numbers will decline through the remainder of the year,” according to a Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
Port traffic peaked early because retailers wanted to guarantee space on a reduced number of slower-traveling ships and avoid hefty peak season surcharges, Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said. Inventory restocking and late deliveries also contributed, other experts said.