02/14/2026
Curtis Picard, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Retail Association, said Granite State retailers at large are seeing a strong season in light of factors like lower temperatures and stronger snow earlier in the winter, motivating consumers to look at buying items like outdoor apparel.
He also pointed to the National Retail Federation’s annual holiday shopping forecast, which estimated that U.S. holiday sales would reach $1 trillion in 2025 — growing as much as 4.2 percent compared to the 2024 season.
It’s a positive end to the year, with Picard describing the state’s retail economy in 2025 as “resilient.” Most businesses ordered holiday season stock before tariff prices could take hold, he said.
“I wouldn’t say it was a gangbusters year, but I still think it was a solid year,” he said. “We had a strong back-to-school season and a strong Halloween season. And from all reports, Black Friday was solid as well, with in-store traffic being up to one of its highest levels ever.”
Local dealers in vehicles and furniture say they’re withstanding tariff effects as some rising costs from suppliers have led to price increases, though those increases aren’t nearly as significant as
