Shoppers spending more may make a merry season for retailers

 
A couple carries their packages after holiday shopping at Concord Mills mall in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)People shop at the Pentagon City Mall in Arlington, Va., Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)Shoppers crowd the entrance of a Walmart Supercenter on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2017 in Jonesboro, Ark. (Staci Vandagriff/The Jonesboro Sun via AP)Linda Barnes looks at girls’ shirts Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, while last minute Christmas shopping at J