Consumer confidence hit a high in the third quarter of 2014 after zigzagging in earlier quarters this year, according to the latest Information Resources Inc. (IRI) MarketPulse survey. This uptick is good news for marketers, because shoppers are rolling into the holiday season on a high note and are willing to spend a bit more, it notes. In fact, the National Retail Federation is predicting that retail sales will be up by 4.1 percent in November and December. This holiday season, 5 percent of consumers say they will spend more on food and beverages, compared with 4 percent in 2013 and 3 percent in 2011. Overall, 2014 holiday sales are expected to reach $616.9 billion, which is more than a 3.1 percent increase compared with 2013, IRI reports.