Ready, set —  retailers are ready for you to go!

YOUNGSTOWN

Deck the halls because it’s time to get out the shopping list, scan the Black Friday ads to find the perfect presents and make the holiday preparations.

Retailers, small and large, must prepare for the annual sales stampede.

“Retail is a big part of the Ohio economic output,” said Gordon Gough, president and chief executive officer of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants. “It has a very big presence in Ohio. If retailers do well, then the state does well.”

Ohio retail spending is expected to grow by 4.2 percent this year for an increase of $600 million over last year, according to the 2015 Ohio Holiday Sales Forecast recently released by University of Cincinnati researchers for the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants.

The Youngstown Metropolitan Statistical Area is expected to see a 3.6 percent increase in holiday sales. Inflation, employment and wages are all used as economic indicators that affect retail sales.

Inflation is relatively constant compared with last year, according to the report. The state’s unemployment rate – 4.4 percent in October – is at its lowest point since 2006. Wages continued to increase this year with them starting at a 3 percent increase during the first quarter over 2014.

Read more about the forecast in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.