US Holiday Retail Sales Rise Nearly 4%: Visa, Mastercard
Retail sales in the United States rose by nearly 4 percent during the ongoing holiday season, according to Visa and Mastercard, indicating resilient consumer spending despite tighter household budgets. Preliminary data suggest that shoppers showed strong interest in technology products and apparel upgrades, Reuters reported.
Visa’s Chief Economist Wayne Best said consumers are increasingly using artificial intelligence–based tools to compare prices, enabling them to maximize value while keeping spending under control.
Meanwhile, Michelle Meyer, Chief Economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute, noted that early shopping trends and promotional discounts played a significant role in boosting overall sales during the season.
According to Visa data, retail sales excluding automobiles, fuel, and restaurants increased by 4.2 percent between November 1 and December 21.
Mastercard reported that during the same period, sales in the retail and food service sectors rose by 3.9 percent. While online sales continued to grow rapidly, 73 percent of total transactions were still made in physical stores. Electronics and clothing emerged as the top spending categories.
DBTech/BMT/OR
