Nevada retailers adjust holiday plans as shoppers watch prices and the state trails national economic benchmarks

What happened

Nevada retailers are adjusting their approach for the holiday season as shoppers weigh prices, the Las Vegas Sun reported Monday. The Sun's report featured Home Means Nevada, a Reno-based lifestyle brand with a storefront in the District at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson. It also included national spending forecasts and comments from the Retail Association of Nevada.

National surveys point to higher overall spending. Many shoppers, however, say the economy will shape how they spend. The state's retail trade group also said Nevada differs from national trends on unemployment and gas prices.

How one Henderson storefront prepares

Testing the market on Nevada Day

Home Means Nevada uses Nevada Day in late October to gauge demand, the Sun reported. It then applies what it learns to Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. On those days, the company promotes a major sale or other incentives through email and social media.

Founder and owner Scott Dunseath told the Sun the brand shifts to warmer items such as long sleeves and hoodies ahead of the holidays. It also tracks its inventory of apparel, gift items and home goods. He said retail gets harder each year as prices rise, but "you have to have some sort of baseline of optimism."

Leaning on local products

The Sun asked Dunseath about competition from cheaper online options. He pointed to the brand's unique products, its 21-year reputation and its staff. He said the store's price points are reasonable and its Nevada products are authentic, and that he expects people to seek the store out.

What national forecasts show

Spending expected to rise

In October, the National Retail Federation predicted that November and December holiday sales would rise more than 4% from 2025, with total consumer spending topping $1 trillion. The NRF also found that 56% of holiday shoppers say the state of the economy will affect their plans. Those shoppers said that could mean shopping sales, comparing prices online or using coupons.

A Deloitte report found that half of shoppers plan to give an experience as a gift this year, up from 47% in 2025. Nearly 80% of those shoppers plan to pair the experience with a physical item. Deloitte also anticipates a 4% year-over-year increase in average household spending.

Questions about what higher spending means

Bank of America's Holiday Spending Survey found that 87% of respondents expect their holiday spending to hold steady or decline, and just 12% plan to spend more. Stafford, quoted by the Sun, said some of the increased spending may reflect inflation and higher prices. She noted that if retailers have to cut costs and offer deeper discounts, profits may not improve.

Stafford also said shoppers trying to save money may set aside brand loyalty and try retailers that are new to them. She expects online shopping to continue for convenience, though possibly at slightly lower levels. She said some shoppers prefer to inspect items in person.

Where Nevada stands apart

Retail Association of Nevada President Bryan Wachter said the group agrees with the NRF data and remains "cautiously optimistic" nationally. He told the Sun, however, that Nevada differs from the national outlook on unemployment, gas prices and wage growth.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics put Nevada's unemployment rate at 4.7% in September, compared with 4.2% nationally. As of Oct. 29, regular gas in Nevada averaged $5.25, about a dollar more than the national average, according to AAA.

Wachter said accurate forecasts give retailers time to plan for consumer health, staffing and pricing. "Retailers live and die by the holiday season," he told the Sun. For more on how local households are handling the season, see our report on East Las Vegas families and shops facing holiday costs.

What to watch next

• Home Means Nevada's Black Friday and Small Business Saturday promotions, which the company runs through email and social media.
• Whether November and December sales meet the NRF forecast of more than 4% growth from 2025.
• Whether higher holiday spending reflects inflation rather than more buying, a question Stafford raised about retailer profits.