Some Iowa retailers make their entire year’s worth of profit in this final month of the year. Economists disagree on how busy the holiday shopping season will be for Iowa stores over the next 23 days. Dr. Ernie Goss is an economics professor at Creighton University in Omaha. He’s not convinced this will be a big sales month.Dr. Goss predicts sales increases of three to five percent for the month of December, not the eight- percent growth some economists predict. Goss says many factors are coming into play that may keep consumers holding onto their cash, such as a slowing economy.Goss says there are indications the durable goods market, or heavy machinery, is starting to slip into trouble.Washer and drier maker Electrolux just announced the layoff of 140 workers at its plant in Webster City, in part, blaming slow sales due to consumer concerns over the unconcluded presidential race.
