MasterCard SpendingPulse has released initial numbers for the U.S. holiday season (from November 1 through December 21) based on in-store and online sales by all payment types, and reports that retail sales excluding automotive were up 3.9% over 2024 numbers. Online growth outpaced brick and mortar: online sales (including order online, pick up in-store) were up 7.2%, while in-store sales were up 2.9%.
Consumers are doing more research online before they buy in-store to find promotions and save time when shopping in-store, according to the report.
The 7-week holiday season percentage of 3.9% is consistent with Black Friday sales, which were up 4.1% (see “Black Friday Up”), and near the middle of the National Retail Federation prediction before the season began of 3.7 to 4.2 percent growth for a slightly different set of purchase categories.
Source: ICv2
