Merchant Cash Advance Blog

Multiple representatives of domestic retail organizations have come forward to testify: consumers are planning to spend amounts comparable to recent years at credit card terminals this holiday season.

Jim Hallen, president and CEO of the Michigan Retailers Association, recently spoke to the recent TV outlet WILX about consumer sentiment headed into the winter months. He noted that his association is expecting a sales gain of 1.3 percent this year. Hallen suggested that while businesses can not definitely plan on significant sales increases this year, his firm is cautiously optimistic about holiday revenue.

As U.S. consumers continue to recover from the effects of the recession, it is possible they will spend more on their electronic cards than they have in previous years - illustrating the need for business owners to optimize their ability to accept electronic payments.

Consumers spent more on their credit cards in 2012 than they had in previous years - possibly through newer modes of payment, such as mobile credit card processing and online credit card processing terminals - according to a recent report from MasterCard. Consumers increased their credit spending by more than 8 percent during the past year, contributing to a boost in credit volume of more than $170 billion.

American consumers have come to expect that they can buy almost anything online. One item that's still traditionally purchased on-site, however, is automobiles. That may be about to change. 

General Motors plans to release a web-based application called Shop-Click-Drive to its entire dealer network sometime before the end of the calendar year, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The app will allow new-car buyers to access prices, trade-in values, financing applications and much more from their computers. Shoppers can even use the application to arrange test drives and deliveries of new vehicles.