BTW News Briefs

Kiplinger Predicts Happy Holidays for Retailers

The weather outside might be frightful, but the holiday shopping season looks delightful for retailers, according to The Kiplinger Letter. Kiplinger predicts that consumers are poised to spur sales to a 6 percent rise this season, which would make this holiday season the merriest since 1999, when sales rose by 8 percent.

Moreover, following the holiday season, customers will shop even more in 2004, Kiplinger forecasts, propelling a 4.5 percent retail sales gain next year versus a 4 percent rise this year. Consumer spending will accelerate to a 3.5 percent growth pace from 3 percent. This will lead to even more growth, Kiplinger noted, leading to more hiring, more consumer income, and ultimately even more buying, both by consumers and by businesses.

NEBA Announces New England Book Awards Winners

This week, the New England Booksellers Association (NEBA) announced the 2003 winners of the New England Book Awards: Candlewick Press for Publishing; Lois Lowry for Children's; Jodi Picoult for Fiction; and Simon Winchester for Nonfiction.

Presented annually, the New England Book Awards were established in 1990 to recognize New England authors and publishers who have produced a body of work that stands as a significant contribution to the region's literature. Each author award is accompanied by a $500 grant from NEBA to a literacy organization chosen by the winner. The awards presentation will take place on Sunday, October 26, at the "Breakfast with New England Book Award Winners" during the NEBA trade show in Providence, Rhode Island.