Predictions for this holiday selling season are quite conservative, as many consumers remain tight-fisted. Despite the improving economy, many people are not overly optimistic about the future.

As Retail TouchPoints notes, retailers will also share some responsibility if their holiday 2015 revenues fail to reach their expectations:

“Recent research indicates that the holidays bring significant mismatches between what consumers want and what retailers are able (or willing) to provide. For example, while 60% of consumers report that the availability of buy online/pick up in-store will affect where they shop — and an even higher percentage (72%) seek buy online/return in-store — only 25% of retailers offer these services. And while two-thirds of consumers find online product recommendations helpful, a scant 16% of retailers expect a high ROI from this functionality.”

“See where retailers successfully play Santa, and where they fall into the role of Grinch, with this infographic from Listrak.”