Overall, retail sales during the Black Friday to Christmas Eve period excluding automotive sales increased 5.5 percent in 2014, according to Mastercard Spendingpulse’s initial view on the 2014 U.S. holiday shopping season. The increase is in line with original SpendingPulse forecasts and reflects one additional shopping day this year over 2013.
"This holiday season was a social one," said Sarah Quinlan, senior vice president at MasterCard Advisors. "While certain retail categories saw steady performance from prior months, the focus on creating experiences stayed at the top of many lists. From dining out to planning trips to memorable pieces of jewelry, we saw increases in those categories that will drive future stories beyond just a package exchanged with a friend or family member."
Many news outlets also pointed to consumers' reaction to positive economic indicators as a key player in driving activity during the holiday shopping season.
Based on initial analysis, the jewelry and women's apparel sectors performed stronger than other categories. Additional perspective and insights will be available in the full December MasterCard SpendingPulse report in early January.