Zacks Investment Research·2025-11-12 18:30Market Overview & Projections - The US holiday shopping season is projected to surpass $1 trillion in retail sales for the first time [2] - The National Retail Federation (NRF) expects American consumers to spend between $1.01 trillion and $1.02 trillion during November and December 2025 [2] - This represents a 3.7% to 4.2% increase over the previous year's total of $976 billion [2] Key Retail Players - Amazon and Walmart are identified as retail leaders with resilient business models poised to capitalize on the holiday shopping season [3] - Amazon's e-commerce operations have been significantly enhanced by the deployment of over 1 million robots since 2012, improving speed, accuracy, and efficiency [5] - Walmart's annual digital sales now exceed $100 billion [6] - Amazon and Walmart stocks both hold a Zach's Rank 25 and are expected to post new peaks in Q4 sales [7] Stock Recommendations & Analysis - Crocs (CRX) is highlighted as a top apparel stock to buy for a rebound, with a Zach's Rank 1 (Strong Buy) [8][9] - Crocs is trading at a discount to Zach's textile apparel industry average, with a price-to-earnings ratio of just 6 [9] - Crocs' EPS is expected to grow 8% this year and projected to rebound and rise 4% in fiscal year 2026 to $1260 per share [10] - Crocs recently exceeded its Q3 earnings expectations by 22%, posting quarterly EPS of $2.92 compared to estimates of $2.39 [10] Additional Stocks & ETF - Costco is mentioned as another retail leader to watch, with a Zach's Rank 3 (Hold) [11] - Lululemon, Nike, and Under Armour are suggested as apparel stocks to consider for a potential rebound [12] - The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector ETF (XLY) is presented as a way to gain exposure to top retail stocks, including Amazon, Nike, and Lululemon [13]