This Week in Retail: St. Paddy’s Day and NRF State of Retail event

It’s Saint Patrick’s Day tomorrow, and the National Retail Federation says shoppers are “Dublin” down on spending. Despite landing on a Tuesday, the holiday is forecast to generate a record $7.7 billion, up from $7 billion in 2025. The level of participation in St. Paddy’s has trended upward in recent years regardless of the day of the week, hitting levels that in the past were limited to when the holiday fell on a Saturday.

However, the recent spate of wet and chilly weather could lead more people to celebrate at home, according to weather analytics firm Planalytics. Indeed, NRF is predicting a record number of people (14%) will host a party this year, up from 11% last year.

Here’s what else is happening in retail this week:

In virtual events: In other NRF news, the group is hosting its State of Retail & the Consumer event on Wednesday. The one-hour virtual event features economists and industry leaders breaking down the latest consumer trends, as well as the big reveal of NRF’s annual retail sales forecast. High-profile speakers include BJ’s Wholesale CEO Bob Eddy, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka, and Pinterest Director of Consumer Product Marketing Rachel Hardy.

In earnings: A few more Q4 earnings are coming out this week. Two major discounters are on deck, including Dollar Tree today and Five Below on Wednesday. Then Macy’s is also reporting on Wednesday for a peek into a major department store, and FedEx is finishing out the week on Thursday with some insight on a major shipping company—which is typically relevant to retailers and e-commerce in particular.

In conferences: The Retail Supply Chain Sustainability Conference is coming to London on Tuesday. This year’s event, according to the organizers, is all about “how to identify the right data to capture across your supply chain, how to streamline data collection from your suppliers, and how to communicate its importance across your business.”

Meanwhile, ASD Market Week is coming to Las Vegas Tuesday through Thursday. The event features 1,800 vendors with more than 1 million products across 19+ categories, ranging from fashion and beauty to home decor and toys.