MasterCard recently released its year-end SpendingPulse report, showing that retail sales are up by 4 percent in the United States during the 2016 holiday season, which exceeded initial expectations for the year.
The surveyed holiday season, which lasted from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24, showed online sales grew by 18.9 percent, up 17.5 percent from the year prior. The report said Black Friday sales started out strong and the momentum carried through mid-December. The primary items purchased during the period were speciality apparel, electronics, appliances and jewelry.
The last Saturday before the Christmas holiday, called Super Saturday, delivered the best results for the industry, even as severe weather affected parts of the country during the season.
The SpendingPulse report analyzes national retail sales and is based on aggregate sales activity within the MasterCard payments network. The figures are coupled with estimates for all other payment forms, including both cash and checks. MasterCard said the spending trends did not contain, reflect or relate to actual MasterCard operational or financial performance or specific payment card issuer data.
The figures include both automotive and gasoline sales.