Alabama is expected to exceed the $10 billion mark in sales in November and December for the second year in a row, the Alabama Retail Association predicts.

And local businesses expect to do their fair share of holiday sales this season, kicking it off with Black Friday sales.

The ARA forecasts statewide sales for the holiday season could reach $11 billion.

At Goody’s, Assistant Manager Kayla Ison said they are steadily preparing for the shopping season, and they expect an amazing three days of sales next week.

“Right now, we are making sure that our stock is out and that we have adequate staff,” she said. “Corporate has us with a $10,000 projection on Thursday, and $26,000 for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.”

At JCPenney, Supervisor on Duty Rebecca Elmore said they are expecting high traffic as well.

Through September, Alabama has averaged 4.38 percent growth in taxable sales each month over the same period last year.

Additionally, the statewide projections are expected to top the national average.

The National Retail Federation is predicting only a 3.7 percent increase in spending during November and December.

“In light of positive jobs reports and record September sales in Alabama, Alabama’s holiday sales growth should exceed the nation’s,” said Bob Robicheaux, a professor in the Department of Marketing, Industrial Distribution and Economics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a member of the Alabama Retail Association Board of Directors. “The 2015 holiday season is going to be a price competitive as every.”

Alabama Retail projects about 1,000 net jobs will be added across the retail and food/beverage industries in Alabama during the months of November and December based on hiring trends over the past several shopping seasons. On the national front, NRF expects retailers will hire between 700,000 and 750,000 seasonal workers this holiday season, in line with last year’s 714,000 new holiday positions.