TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - Most Floridians should expect to see more presents under the Christmas tree this year.
The Florida Retail Federation expects a 4.5 percent increase in holiday shopping sales for 2018.
The average consumer is expected to spend more than one thousand dollars over the next month and a half.
That number would be an all-time record.
The holiday season is the biggest time of the year for stores.
People are also expected to spend more than 150 dollars on themselves as well, which is a sign people feel good about their financial situations.
"Florida's economy is extremely strong right now. There's high consumer confidence, a hot housing market, a 10-year low in the unemployment rate, and one thing that continues to go overlooked is 120 million tourists. That's also known as 120 million extra shoppers to Florida," said James Miller with the Florida Retail Federation.
The Retail Federation also said the 2018 sales forecast would have been even higher if not for the impacts from Hurricane Michael, which has left many Floridians with less buying power this holiday season.
