"When retailers expect that Americans will be crowding into their stores, their orders pile into the nation’s ports in August and September for delivery to stores by late October. But logistics companies say that is not happening this year.
'We’re concerned, because usually at this time, you see this peak,' said Richard D. Steinke, the executive director of the Port of Long Beach in California. 'We haven’t seen it.'
In fact, the five busiest container ports in the United States said that imports in August 2011 were lower than or even with 2010 volumes."
Full NYT story