According to a report released by Nielsen, U.S. consumers are expected to spend more than $98 billion during the November-December holiday retail season. The report predicts a 4.7 percent increase in dollars spent over 2007, but a virtually flat estimate (-0.8 percent) relative to unit sales. The in-depth forecast includes projected sales at food stores, drug stores, mass merchandisers and convenience stores, across 125 product categories, including groceries, beverages, entertainment and more.