Mastercard SpendingPulse: U.S. Retail Sales Grew 3.4 Percent This Holiday Season

etailers have much to cheer about this holiday season. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse^TM, holiday retail sales increased 3.4 percent (ex auto) with online sales growing 18.8 percent compared to 2018. Mastercard SpendingPulse provides insights into overall retail spending trends across all payment types, including cash and check.

“E-commerce sales hit a record high this year with more people doing their holiday shopping online,” said Steve Sadove, senior advisor for Mastercard and former CEO and Chairman of Saks Incorporated. “Due to a later than usual Thanksgiving holiday, we saw retailers offering omnichannel sales earlier in the season, meeting consumers’ demand for the best deals across all channels and devices.”

The Mastercard SpendingPulse report details holiday shopping from November 1 through December 24. Key findings of the report indicate that this was a winning holiday season for retail, especially for e-commerce.

The Jewelry sector experienced 1.8 percent growth in total retail sales, with online sales growing 8.8 percent – supporting eCommerce strength. This trend started before the holiday season and helped the sector power through to its finish. Department stores saw overall sales decline 1.8 percent and online sales growth of 6.9 percent, emphasizing the importance of omnichannel offerings.